


Monsters and Gods

by GodKingLoki



Category: Frostiron - Fandom, Iron Man (Movies), IronFrost - Fandom, Loki - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Banter, Fluff and Angst, FrostIron - Freeform, Future nsfw, IronFrost - Freeform, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-03
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2018-04-24 15:54:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 33,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4925791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GodKingLoki/pseuds/GodKingLoki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Something has happened. No one is quite sure what or why? Pieces are missing, Loki is majorly injured, and Tony is trying to figure some shit out. Lets just keep this giant bag of worms quiet for now... I'm sure everything will work out fine... Maybe... probably not... But Tony Stark can fix anything right? ...Right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Waiting

* * *

_“My own mind began to grow, watchful with anxious thoughts.”_  
_― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein_

* * *

 

Tony was exhausted. That kind of tired where you couldn’t really turn off. All you could really do is stare. It was like every part of him had been muted. Paused in some way.  
  
Hell, every inch of him hurt. His back, knees, neck, his everything.  
  
His eyes looked to his hands. Though they held what was once a perfect manicure they had well worn calluses upon them. Patches of diligent work with tools and metal.  
  
The thing with metal is, it can be strong and well polished but it didn’t matter how often he heated that metal up, it would always go cold again.  
  
But tonight his hands were more than what they typically were. Tonight they were covered in blood, something he once thought of as a rarity though disturbingly becoming more and more par-for-the-course. When Tony would forget he was human and not some god among gods his body would remind him, not only of his mortality but also of his age… he was not in his twenties anymore, that was for sure. His back acted up too much and his days of all night parties were certainly becoming more quiet solo and recluse.  
  
He once used alcohol to mask it all. To blend in easier. To make all those window dressings seem real in some way. Though he was always so detached from it all. Now he was using the alcohol as more of a anxiolytic and sometimes the cherry on top of a fuck-it-all day. His tool for helping him to blend into life was now becoming a tool of destruction, helping him to flood away all the shit he didn’t want to put up with. Perhaps he never really used the booze as a tool, perhaps this entire time it was using him. Isn’t that how that typically works anyway? It was all becoming so cliché lately and he found himself becoming more and more okay with cliches and less and less okay with masks. But to not hide behind wit and charm would be to take away a security he had become far to dependent on.     
  
Yes, his hands were bloody again. Not to mention the splattering of cuts and bruises covering him. Just another day in the land of monsters and gods.  
  
Everything was so quiet. That in-and-of-itself was unsettling. A man like Tony Stark had become accustomed to things not being quiet. It is odd how one can become comfortable with the uncomfortable, but he had. Or maybe the alcohol was simply helping him to believe that.  
  
He wasn’t quite sure when it had all started but he knew for a fact it wasn’t over. Though for right now he was still. The air was still, the room was still, his mind- _still_.  
  
He knew eventually things would need to be explained. Things would need to be talked about. A plan would need to be put into motion.  
  
 Right now he didn’t feel like doing a damn thing.  
  
He had collapsed into one of the large chairs in the room hours ago. He wasn’t sure how long he had dozed off, but when his dark eyes opened the room around him was still disheveled. It was still dark. What light came through the window ghosted over the corners and edges of things. The city bleeding it’s nightlife through the large windows of his once grand master bedroom, posh and elegant. Now tossed and covered with small fragments of debris and bloody rags, discarded carelessly in the heat of chaos. The light from the window making the blood appear dark, almost black.  
  
As black as the hair of the plot twist laying in the bed… _his bed_.  
  
Fuck.

What did he get himself into?  
  
He stared for a long time at the form in his bed. His fucking bed! Tony's lies and elegant word plays would need to work their magic on this one. How the hell do you explain something like this away? Especially not knowing all the intel, not knowing the full story, only knowing what they had done, said, what they had-… Tony’s jaw clenched, his eyes still scanning the motionless form wrapped in his sheets.  
  
At least the bleeding stopped…  
  
It was hard to see at times if they were still breathing. There may have been a moment or two where he wished they weren’t. It would have made things simpler. But none-the-less. Breath came and went, in and out, steady and slow. Tony even found himself shallow breathing. As if the silence in the room had begun to steal the oxygen.  
  
He had to collect himself. He had to. He certainly wasn’t the man he use to be. Things were different, beyond different. understatement of the century really. How does a self sabotaging science nerd in a business suit go from weapon expos to becoming a fucking superhero and a nurse to an alien god in his bed? Tony chuckled to himself at that thought. ‘ _Dear penthouse…_ ’ he chuckled again. The movement causing his ribs to ache. Had hadn’t been taking care of himself and with the recent events of the day his body certainly wasn’t happy with him. If only aliens, terrorists, and gods would be far more respectful of his health. Another chuckle, another pull of pain.    
  
He heavy sighed and closed his eyes tightly. His worn and aching fingers pressed against his eyelids as if he were applying pressure to a wound. With all the things he had seen and done, it wasn’t far off.  
  
He wasn’t sure what to do. In fact that was usually his game. He typically played if off that he knew exactly what to do and just how to do it. It was part of his charm. And if the problem was made of tech he could solve it easy… but the form in his bed wasn’t made of metal… But perhaps there was a program… Perhaps there was a way he could ‘hack’ his way in, figure out the coding, how they worked, how he could either re-wire the problem or shut them down if need be.  
  
Shit.  
  
And there it was. He still wasn’t even sure if he should be playing nurse or executioner. Making a call to SHIELD thugs to come barreling in or for pizza…. _pizza_ … He hadn’t eaten in some time. When in doubt, pizza was always a good call. And on this night with this crazy shit going on Tony was certainly opting for delivery.  
  
Tony closed his eyes and tilted his head up towards the ceiling as if nonchalantly gesturing to a servant, his voice breaking the stillness of the room. _"Hey J_ ! Make a call for delivery will yah? Same place, same order, you know the drill."  
  
The smooth soundings of Jarvis answered, “Certainly sir."  
  
"Good boy." Tony smiled and drew in another breath as he attempted to slowly stretch out his worn limps.  
  
"Shall I also alert the Avengers line of recent events or perhaps SHIELD?  
  
Tony’s eyes shot open, his reaction quick, "No! _No no_. We’ll keep a lid on this for now." His eyes looked to the figure in his bed and he muttered to himself, _"Whatever the hell this is."_     
  
But what did happened today? What did it all mean? What was he doing? And why did they—…. He stilled again, his mind in overload, where he typically liked it to be but not in this way.    
  
Tony sighed and slowly rose, his body fighting him all the way.  
  
He sighed again, "I need a drink."  
  
Jarvis answered, "I highly doubt that sir."  
  
He smiled, "I can delete you you know."  
  
"I am quite fond of you as well sir."  
  
Another laugh, another pain.  
  
 He once more looked to his bed.  
  
He still wasn’t even sure what he was doing. But what was for certain is that he, Tony Stark, was alone in a room, battered and beaten, exhausted and tuned out, watching and waiting for a much welcomed delivery boy… and for the person in his bed to begin to move, to open their eyes, to explain it all…  
  
...for Loki to wake up…


	2. Weird Mornings

* * *

_“I could not understand why men who knew all about good and evil could hate and kill each other.”_  
_― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein_

* * *

 

By the time the sun had started to rise the food had come and gone. Though the emptiness in his stomach was still present. He knew why. That pit in his stomach wasn’t from a lack of food but from a lack of answers. Tony wasn’t the kind of person to enjoy such things, in fact he may had made it is mission in life to do what he could to figure things out. He didn’t want to take the time to peel that back and figure out why. He was already certain it came from some childhood abandonment issues or daddy wasn’t there crap. That wasn’t the kind of stuff that bothered him. It was missing the puzzle pieces, keeping him from calling everyone else’s hand. He may have enjoyed holding all the answers, he certainly acted like he did.  
  
Between pacing one of his large work shops he found himself shuffling debris around with his feet in a hap-hazard attempt to tidy things up.  Dumm-E attempted to aide him, clamping down on a broom handle, the machine doing it’s best to clean things up. Though it wasn’t the best aide as it tended to make far more of a mess of things. Tony never had the heart to shut him down or up grade him. Oddly enough he had quite the fondness of it's sad graceless manners.  
  
A loud clatter echoes through the shop, clumsiness ensuing. Tony closed his eyes for a moment and sighed a smile. Well… maybe not all the time. But the king of misfit toys couldn’t complain much. It was flawed, just like him, but once again, he didn’t want to peel that back either.  
  
"Jarvis! Any changes?" His tired eyes watched the projected screens at his side. Surveillance footage and live feeds washing over the air in front of him.  
  
Jarvis answered quietly, "I’m afraid there have been no new developments sir."  
  
Tony’s jaw clenched, his eyes watching the feed he had set up in his master bedroom. He could clearly see the two Iron Legion drones he had set up on sentry mode in the room… like that would do anything… It was Loki… _Loki_ … A tightening pulled at his chest. He wasn’t always known for making the best decisions but this one was really getting up there.  
  
He constantly paced and checked the footage. He continued to go over the images again and again of what happened, trying to put things together. His eyes scanning over the same things time and time again… The sounds, flashes of lights, all the magic crap that made his head hurt to even think about… He skipped ahead, went back, over and over… How did this happen? Why here? Why him? …And why did Loki take that hit for him?  
  
The surveillance clearly showed him jumping between him and a rather nasty looking fellow to take what Tony could only describe as a magical-death-beam hit… Seeing again and again Loki flying backwards in a flash of light hitting and shattering parts of the wall… and for what? _Him?_ ...He sighed and rolled his eyes…  
  
Life was so weird these days.  
  
But there he was, clear as day on the screen. Tony Stark facing death, just another day really, but why did Loki, God of Mischief, throw himself between him and that blast? Did he know it wouldn’t kill him? Did he realize who he was saving? …There had to be an ulterior motive, had to be. Loki wasn’t the most trusting, to put it nicely. What if Loki staged this entire thing? Got his insides ripped open just to trick him in some way… wouldn’t be there first time. Tony had heard all about Loki’s ‘death’ not long ago from Thor. The jolly blond giant who enjoyed recanting his own tales just as much as Tony did.  
  
He huffed and lowered his eyes from the projections. He knew he needed some real sleep but wasn’t going to get some anytime soon. His eyes looked to the time. It was getting to be way to close to _the-rest-of-the-world-is-going-to-wake-up-soon_ time and he wasn’t really sure what he was doing or why he even did what he did. Life was certainly weird.  
  
He knew Pep would be here. Come sauntering through the elevator like she owned the place… though in a way she did. He use to love to see her come through the door. Watch her glide down the stairs and across the tiles to him with that smart ass smile and confidence which would challenge his own on some days. To hear the clicking of her heels against the titles. Although they made her far too tall against him which he pretended well that this criticism of course had absolutely nothing to do with his height complex.  
  
What was he going to tell her? How was he going to explain the debris? He could always cast is off as an experiment gone awry. One of his tinker toys misbehaving… it certainly would be believable.  
  
Jarvis interrupted his brainstorming, "Sir, there have been developments."  
  
Tony straightened right up, his dark eyes wide, his breath still. "Whats up!?"  
  
"There have been movements with our guest."  
  
Tony immediately looked to the live feed, It didn’t appear as though Loki was overly energized though there certainly were some small movements.  
  
"Looks like sleeping beauty is finally ready to cause more trouble." Tony’s face was certainly not approving though wasn’t this what he was waiting for? For that bat shit crazy alien god to wake up and start telling him what the hell was going on? Or did he not think this all the way through? Sure, it appeared as though Loki had saved his life but from who? And why? Loki wasn’t the hero type, though not long ago many said the same of Tony. However, there wouldn’t have been any need for saving if Loki hadn’t teleported himself to his place with an assortment of—…. _alien wizard assassins_? ...catching him in a good old fashioned shoot out…?  
  
Life. Weird. We get it.  
  
Hell! He couldn’t even _adult_ today let alone come up with a good enough cover… could he? Things could get even more complicated and dangerous if he wasn’t careful.  
  
"Sir, Miss Potts has arrived to the front lobby of the tower."  
  
Shit.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Jarvis greeted Pepper with his typical charm and allowed her entrance to the elevator to the restricted floors with ease. She smiled and thanked him as she shifted through emails and messages on her tablet. Just another early morning scramble to annoy Tony enough until he signs off on some reports she was most certain he wouldn’t even read. She found it was easiest to catch him early when he was grumpy enough to do her bidding and tired enough to not put up much of a fight. But when the doors to the lift opened she found herself at pause for a moment.  
  
Tony was now standing at the bar for the kitchen, propping himself against it with a sad smile of surrender upon him. The space around him was trashed. Large pieces of ceiling and walls busted and fragmented all around. Glass shattered across the furniture and large blast burns painted around the room.  
  
Peppers jaw locked and she gripped her tablet tightly. She slowly walked clear of the elevator, the doors closing behind her. After her eyes scanned the disheveled mess that was once his living room and open kitchen area her gaze slowly looked to Tony, her expression shifting to one of disappointment.  
  
" _I can explain_." Tony said, lifting his hands from the counter and floating them before him in a mock defensive manner. "But first! I’m going to make some eggs. Do you want some eggs?" Tony played it off as no big deal but Pepper certainly wasn’t entertained. Tony turned and began cluttering around the kitchen. Shifting debris off of the counter and stove, going about his task seemingly without a care. Pepper wiped away some glass from one of the stools at the kitchen’s bar and slowly took a seat. She watched Tony move around, jaw clenched, waiting. She was constantly worrying about the guy, why wouldn’t she? She loved him. Not like she use to. Things had certainly changed as so many things had. It was hard to love someone who was so set on destroying themselves, let alone one who threw themselves into life and death situations on a regular basis. Life was too complicated and busy as it was to add to it any sense of a healthy relationship. But they were still family to one another.  
  
"Do you want scrambled or an omelet? I ate not long ago but you look like you could use some breakfast." Tony asked over his shoulder as he brought out pans.  
  
She continued to watch him, not speaking a word. It was driving him crazy and she knew it.  
  
Then he paused, finally. The few seconds of silence between moving and speaking were a nightmare and then he finally made eye contact.  
  
"I know it looks bad but things have been worse."  
  
Pepper didn’t reply. She continued to watch him, a cold fear going through her. She knew him too well.  
  
"Look… I’m good. The place is good, we-.."  
  
She cut him off, "Things are never good. There is always something. And as for this place…" She turned and looked over her shoulder, waving a hand about. "Every time you put things back together they blow up again. Why do you even own things?"  
  
Tony chuckled, Pepper followed suit.  
  
"Do I need to call Rhodey?"  
  
"No no!" He replied and then paused… "Actually, _maybe_."  
  
Pepper raised any eyebrow. "What is going on Tony? Don’t play games with me, we have been beyond that for some time."  
  
He wanted to tell her but wasn’t sure how she would handle the psychopath in his bed.  
  
"Its top secret Avenger stuff… don’t want to bore you with any details."  
  
Pepper’s eyes squinted. "And when have you ever not wanted to bore me with details?" Her smile was genuine though obvious concern was still upon her.  
  
"Don’t worry Pep… everything is under control."  
  
Jarvis interrupted, "Sir, the new developments are exacerbating."  
  
"What developments?" Pepper asked, an annoyed curiosity about her.  
  
Before her questioned could be answered Tony interrupted the A.I. and called out, "Ah! Thats okay buddy! Thanks! Keep an eye out on it for me I’ll be right over!"  
  
Pepper quickly looked to Tony with suspicion, "Tony… **what is going on**?"  
  
"You’re a worry-wart!"  
  
She tilted her head in disapproval and stood up from the stool. "I’m calling Rhodey."  
  
She was half way to the elevator when Jarvis threw the cherry on top, "Sir, our guest has requested you by name."  
  
Tony’s eyes widened.  
  
Oh shit.  
  
Pepper froze and then slowly turned back to glare at him. "… ** _guest_** …?" She asked, her face clearly full of judgement.  
  
"I can explain." Tony was trying.  
  
Pepper waited.  
  
"Or- _maybe not_." Tony was failing.  
  
"Where is this guest Jarvis?" Pepper asked the room.  
  
_"Wait-ah-min_ -.." Tony tried to interject  
  
"In the master bedroom ma’am. " Tony growled and Pepper looked at him with more than disappointment. She turned and started walking straight through to the rooms of the suite. Tony moved quickly to intercept. But Pepper was hell on heels and Tony wasn’t able to maneuver her as quickly as he wanted to. By the time he got in front got in front of her she had already paused. Her eyes catching sight of one of the two centuries sentries watching the room.    
  
"Okay, wait… let me explain."  
  
"You’ve tried that already and its getting old!" She was obviously concerned and frustrated, perhaps completely pissed. He wasn’t sure but he did know she certainly would be if she went towards that room.  
  
"You know, you joke about me being a mother-hen to you but dammit Tony every time I turn around you’re getting yourself hurt! You’re playing with immortals and super soldiers and if I’m not here to pull you back from time to time you may not come back one of these days!"  
  
She had a point. Even he could understand her concern. But he wasn’t the kind of person to take to having a babysitter, although, that was always Pep’s job.  
  
**"Look! I get it! I do!** I know I’m just a tech nerd in a can but I’m doing what I can to make things safer, to put things back together. I know you have this blind spot for me and keep coming around here to patch me up and tether me but seriously I’m doing okay right now. I’m not overly broken and I really am trying to make some bigger changes."  
  
Pepper looked at him with concern. He was right. She would always have a blind spot for him. She would always worry. But that is what family does.  
  
"Look! I promise! Everything is okay for right now and I’m going to be making some better choices… _promise_!"  
  
A tangled burst of green energy pulsed from the bedroom cracking and sparking through the hall. When the sound and light died away Pepper looked to Tony. She was now definitely pissed.  
  
...  
  
He shrugged and tilted his head, "So-- you know how I don’t always make the best choices? -- _Rrright_?"

...


	3. You did what now?

* * *

  _“It is true, we shall be monsters, cut off from all the world; but on that account we shall be more attached to one another.”_  
_― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein_

* * *

 

Tony sat quietly in his chair; lips pressed, a sheepish look upon him, waiting for the two judges across from him to make their ruling. He felt like he was back in school, waiting to hear his father’s reaction to his behavioral record… not like that ever happened. If anything it would have been just another nanny ‘filling in’ for his old man… that guy had a lot of fill-ins in his life. This was also eerily similar to when Cap would give him ‘that’ look. Everyone of them knew it all too well, especially Tony. That look you could just feel seep into you, triggering any form of guilt and shame that may be kindling. Tony wasn’t big on shame, in fact he often tried to make it his bitch and carry on. Shame wasn’t his thing, its just not what hedonists do. Though, in this moment, sitting across from Pep and Rhodey, he felt something, that was for sure. Though he would do anything possible to deny it ever being shame; he was stubborn that way.  
  
Seconds stretched on. He wasn’t the waiting type either. Hell, he wasn’t a lot of things.  
  
"Sooo-… yup… that’s the gist of it… thoughts? Reactions?" Tony raised an eyebrow, waiting for the inevitable shit-storm.  
  
Rhodey’s blank expression slowly turned to a deep rooted questioning. His words started out slowly at first before escalating into pure sass, something Tony could appreciate about his friend on most occasions, most… "Let me-… just get a few things straight…"  
  
Tony nodded  
  
Pepper continued to stare at the floor, even eye contact beyond her at this point.  
  
"You. Tony Stark, Iron Man of the Avengers."  
  
"Yep, yep..."  
  
Rhodey continued, not missing a beat, "Were invaded by some magic voodoo cowboys of some sort…?"  
  
"Yep… yep yep yep…"  
  
Rhodey’s head tilted, an eye brow dangerously beginning to raise, "And--… Loki. The Loki who tried to kill us all not that long ago… Who—"  
  
Tony interjected quickly, "Technically he just wanted to rule over us and have us all respect his authori-tah… And-..." Tony’s words slowly stopped when he realized the look upon Rhodey’s face was more than a little displeased. He paused and gestured to Rhodey to continue.. "But do go on!"  
  
"Oh why thank you, very generous of you." His sass turning up a few volumes.  
  
"Instead of calling the authorities… SHIELD… the Avengers… or even myself, your trusty solider in arms…”  
  
"Side kick."  
  
Rhodey’s glare was accompanied by Pepper’s, a tag team from Shaming-Hell. He needed to learn to stop talking, if that were even possible for him. There was only so far he could go before he couldn’t dig himself deeper and he needed to store up for a rainy day.  
  
"My bad, continue." Tony said, gesturing to Rhodey  
  
Rhodey nodded, re-assuming his role as king shit of the proverbial mic, "Thats right… Now… as I saying… You’re insane and making terrible insane choices… again… and I may need to ground your ass and make a call to the big guy."  
  
Tony stood up shaking his head. "No no no… Don’t call Cap, he’ll only make this worse!"  
  
Pepper stood to match Tony’s play. "Listen! There have been many things we have been able to get on board with but this isn’t one of them." She gestures to the hall towards Loki’s makeshift recovery room. "He is beyond dangerous and you can’t trust anything that comes from that psycho!" Her words got far more intense near the end. It was all an obvious elephant in the room suffocating the shit out of everyone. Rhodes remained seated during this, his expression paused on resting bitch-face.  
  
"You still haven’t told us what he told you." Pepper crossed her arms and waited. Rhodey leaned back and mimicked her. And the tag-team of shame intensifies. They should team up more often and find a way to bottle that stuff and use it against politicians!  
  
But what was he ashamed of? He knew the score, or at least what Loki was trying to sell him. He hung on to every word Loki said, floating around in that vault of his. Hell, he could even play off the surveillance if all back if he wanted to.  They had a point about not trusting him, though Tony had earned similar concerns with trust not that long ago. But this time there was something about his delivery, the energy in the room, everything that sounded all too familiar that made him believe the guy… besides… we all make stupid calls of trust all the time. Its a right of passage isn’t it? So what if he made a couple hundred more than the overage folk.  
  
"We’re waiting…" Rhodey’s voice was soft and mock nurturing. Tony would give them something but not everything. He trusted the two in front of him with his life but something was off about sharing everything. That worried him the most. Why did he believe Loki? Was he under his trance or something? Did he work his glow stick mojo on him when he wasn’t looking? What?  
  
"Okay… okay. I’ll tell you what you want to know just-… don’t call Cap. We all love Star-Spangled but he would only come in here barking around and seriously it will make things worse."  
  
Pepper sighed slowly and sat back down next to Rhodes. "Okay… lets hear it. What lies did he feed you and is there a cure for it?"  
  
Tony chuckled before sitting back down. He took in a long breath and looked to the floor. "Okay… so… here it is-…"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
[two hours earlier]  
  
It took a few minutes for him to calm Pepper down after the energy burst. Explaining to her who was in the master bedroom and sharing some of what had happened didn't make it easier to calm her. As one can imagine she wasn’t overly happy about it. It took even longer for him to convince her to only call Rhodey and not everyone on her emergency speed-dial. Once he adequately cooled that wild fire he sighed and decided to answer his summoning and finally face the I-love-leather-way-too-much jackass in the back bedroom.  
  
Awesome…

Stuck between an angry redhead and an emergency line to everyone with an assault rifle and an insane alien god…

Good times.  
  
When Tony finally approached the room the two sentinels on watch reacted to his movements like pieces on a chess board and made room for his entrance with what seemed to be choreographed grace. The room had changed a bit from his last introspective melting into the chair he now found himself standing in front of. Some of the debris and bloody rags had been at least discarded during his earlier pizza binge. Oh yeah! And the fact that Loki was finally awake.  
  
Awake? Yes. His typical well put together self? No.  
  
His long dark hair was tossed and cast around his shoulders. His green eyes heavy and strained, much the way Tony would typically find his after pulling an all nighter in the lab. His garments were still torn up and disheveled. The same regal golds and leathers he was accustomed to seeing Loki in had been replaced with some strange dark garments. Some casual off world styles he was sure though he did resemble a gothic yoga instructor with a loose fitted oddly cropped top with tight fitted black leggings. The large wound at Loki’s side was still bandaged though still clearly affecting him. What small movements he was making in the bed seemed to be favoring that side. The cloth around the bandages was burned from the blast. He looked like death, exhausted and clearly not that long from seeing much more action before he so graciously stormed into his life, into his home.  
  
As Tony approached the bed his eyes stayed on Loki. Keeping his distance but allowing him to see he owned the space. Posing himself at the foot of the bed with the two sentinels flanking him. He loved peacocking. But who would ever have guessed that?  
  
Loki slowly looked up, scanning the audience before him with no sign of intimidation. Though Tony knew Loki wasn’t the sort to startle easy. But it was all about power play at the moment. Tony wanted to believe that he held more cards than Loki but he wasn’t overly confident of that at the time. Last time he saw Loki in the tower he kindly aided Tony is seeing, not only how much force it would take to break through a window, but also gave him the opportunity to feel a complete free fall from a city scraper. Talk about trust issues.  
  
Loki shifted, attempting to raise himself up to address his host. Hissing in pain he paused. That is when Tony’s eyes caught the almost electric sparking of green energy he and Pepper had seen earlier spark under the bandage. Not as intense as before but certainly eye catching.  
  
Tony tilted his head and mock raised his hand before him. "Careful now sparky. Your light show may spook my boys and I don’t enjoy seeing them antsy… fatherly concern and all."  
  
Loki’s lips turned up into a wicked smile and he looked to Tony, "Fathers? Must men like you and I really venture there so early in our workings together?"  
  
Tony scoffed, "No no! No daddy issues please! I’ve read your file! Man tears are way too early for this shit show and should never be shared between heroes and villains."  
  
Loki tilted his head back. A serpent like grin upon him. "A hero Stark?’ His grin remaining. ‘Is that how you paint yourself these days?" Tony’s jaw locked before he answered.  
  
"Pretty sure saving the planet against spoiled little brats like yourself counts." Tony smirks.  
  
Loki softly laughed, reaching up two long fingers to tuck some long raven strands behind his ear before delivering his retort. Tony continued to watch him closely. The playful way his lips moved throughout their little dance. The hair that rebelled against his attempts to manage it. How long and graceful his fingers seemed to be. Tony knew what he liked, he was never ashamed of that. It was typically all the other shit that came with it that caused him any distress. Far too many negative press and scoldings really for him to enjoy fast cars, fancy parties, high tech toys, the spotlight, beautiful women, and a few beautiful men when those fancy parties got scandalous. But Loki was dangerous and not in a scandalous way. In a he-enjoys-blasting-holes-in-the-sky kinda way.  
  
"Come now Stark. If we are not to speak of the angst of failed father figures then surely also mustn’t speak of spoiled brats."  
  
Tony had to admit they did seem to have way too much in common for him to feel overly warm and fuzzy inside.  
  
"Touche! But lets stop with the banter for now. I have a feeling you and I could go on for days."  
  
Loki’s grinned changed to something far more enjoyable as his green eyes scanned Tony’s form. Making himself far too familiar with his figure. His voice smooth and overly inviting, "Oooh—… I’m sure we could."  
  
He blindly set that one up, he had to admit that. Tony had to shake that one off. "Okay okay princess! Lets stick to some ground rules. No flirting with the enemy okay!"  
  
Loki sighed and rolled his eyes. "While engaging in a discussion on why so many warriors find it so belittling to misgender a title in an attempt to wound the pride of their foe would be certainly a welcomed change in discussion I must first address your second mis-titling… enemy Stark?" Loki tilts his head and softly laughs. "Saving your life and then you dressing my wounds without calling your Avenger horde in to tear me down… is that what enemies do?"  
  
Tony drew in the long breath and now took his turn in the eye rolling. "Seriously… A.) I’m pretty sure you didn’t save my life but rather orchestrated some elaborate stunt to get yourself into my tower and into my loving arms. B.)  You would never have needed to even save me if you hadn’t blasted through my damn penthouse! C.) You. blasted. through. my. penthouse."  
  
Loki’s smart-ass grin angered him further but somehow simultaneously made him vote in favor of the jerk even more. Loki held his cool and liked what he liked. Again, waaay too much in common with Tony. But that was a thought for another time. Right now he needed to put the squeeze on the immortal alien punk in his bed… that entire thought sounded far too sexual and weird. They were already way too flirtatious in nature for him to be throwing thoughts like that together so carelessly.  
  
"Come now Stark. I merely brought some entertainment to your night out of your otherwise lonely puttering of machine magics and delivered meals—"  
  
Loki intended to continue but Tony cut him off waving his hand towards Loki, gesturing for him to stop. "Wait wait wait… Hold on a sec… While I’m going to, for now, ignore the fact that you Asguardians enjoy referring to science as magic, which is precious by the way, really! …I would first like to ask how the hell would you know what my nights typically look like? …are you watching me!?" Tony grimaced, "Are you moving from world domination to late night creeping!?"  
  
Loki went to answer but was once again cut off, "No! No. Forget it. I don’t want to know. Lets move on. Why the hell did all that crazy shit go down? …And why was it brought here?"  
  
Loki moved slightly. An attempt to bring himself up again, this time reaching far more success than last time. Though triggering another spark of green energy.  
  
"It was not my intention to bring them here. They rather invited themselves."  
  
"They who?" Tony asked, all casual communication lost from him now.  
  
"Bounty hunters."  
  
Tony nodded his head quickly and clenched his first in a small celebration of victory for himself. ‘Knew it! Nailed it.’  
  
Loki looked at him blankly.  
  
"I'm not even going to ask, right now anyway, about their fancy vanishing trick for the sack of getting this over with-... Let me just re-cap for a sec! You were being an asshole somewhere, became hunted, had some Boba Fetts shooting after you... no real surprise there. I’m sure you make friends everywhere you go." Tony expressed his shit-eating-grin to Loki triggering a sarcastic reply. Big surprise.  
  
"Oh yes my dear Merchant-of-Death, all sorts."  
  
Again. Too much in common.  
  
Tony froze. He hadn’t wanted to reveal any sign of what he would typically deem as ‘hurt-puppy-syndrome’ to Loki but he certainly wasn’t expecting to hear that title come from Loki. But shit happens. The smile upon Loki was all too telling of that.  
  
"Fine. You want to play hard ball. No problem." Tony turned to leave the room. "I’ll just see what Thor is doing on a day like this."  
  
"Wait!" Loki called out but not desperately, exuding more of an irritated defeat.  
  
Tony paused for a moment and then slowly re-entered the room. "Ready to stop playing games?"  
  
Loki’s grin slowly returned, "As though creatures like you and I could ever do anything different? It is how we are wired. To be real would break our mold. To be bare would cause us discourse."  
  
Tony listened. Patiently… mostly.  
  
Loki sighed. "But very well. Our banter can cease for the moment. Far more pressing matters at hand and all."  
  
Tony stood quietly, no longer playing the game.  
  
"As you can imagine the universe is far most vast and populated than many humans once thought. Full of wonders and terrors alike."  
  
Tony’s thoughts slowly became invaded by memories of black holes and massive beasts flying past stars.  
  
Loki continued, "I have seen things, touched things… that would crawl before this world, consuming every inch…"  
  
Tony found those words crawling through every inch of his sense of comfort. It was as though Loki knew exactly what buttons to push to trigger him. He swore if Loki pushed him to a panic attack he would have his drones shoot his ass as he called his lightening-strike brother to seal the deal and spank him all the way home.  
  
Loki paused. He knew he was certainly getting Tony’s attention. But Tony remained still.  
  
"This is my bargain… this is my hand to play…"  
  
Tony finally broke his silence, "You’ve already tried to play that hand and we wiped the floor with you… The Hulk did anyway." Tony grinned though he was far too unsettled to enjoy his antagonizing.  
  
It was Loki’s turn to feel unsettled though it certainly did not last for long. That damn smile came back. "Oh no. You misread me Stark. I am not here to threaten. The threat is what followed me here. I am here to offer a trade."  
  
That struck him funny. He thought about it and clearly had a look of confusion upon him as Loki chuckled. "Interested in hearing more?"  
  
Tony paused for a moment before replying, "Look… I don’t know what weird ass magic the gathering cards you think you can pawn off on me for some chance at screwing over your brother or earth again but believe me... I’m not interested."  
  
Tony turned to leave again but Loki was able to pull him back with ease. Loki's sharp tongue attacked his interest once more, dominating the air space with that obvious silver-tongued royal confidence Tony wished didn’t pull at him in the way that it did.  
  
"Go back to your toys Man of Iron. Your hollow metal shells you so desperately cling to for protection. Go. Make a hundred and a hundred more. You have seen what is beyond this world, your eyes have captured it, your nightmares haunted by it."  
  
Tony didn’t turn around though his head turned as if his thoughts were being pulled back to Loki. The god was a puppet master and he knew it. He couldn’t afford to play into his traps but fuck… he knew just how to set them.  
  
"Will you be ready? For when all those terrors come to your doorstep? Threaten the things you fight so hard to defend. To save all those lives…?"  Loki’s voice grew darker, "To make up for all those you and your workings took? "  
  
Tony spun around, jaw clenched, triggering the sentinels to raise their hands towards Loki. Their armored repulsors aimed directly for him.  
  
"Fuck you! You come in and cause a drama show and dance and try to intimidate me with your scary bedtime stories!? Fuck off! You’re last years news and you can’t stand being once again discarded as unimportant. I read all about you and your Jerry Springer Family mellow drama."  
  
Loki was now in line for discomfort. It was always a dangerous game to throw two hot tempered smart ass people of wit into a room together. Tossing on top of it all trauma history and abandonment issues… ptff.. please. No one was walking out unscathed.  
  
"You just need to stir up shit and poke buttons because you can’t stand loosing any sense of control!"  
  
Loki’s laugh was vicious, "Control!? Control Stark? And you think you have it? I know what you saw. I have seen it too. That and far far worse. Think what you will of me, I care not…"  
  
Though he did. But shit. That is a different story for another day.  
  
Tony was still furious but held his ground, as did his drones.  
  
"You’ll never be prepared. No matter how many metal men you make. How many mismatched warriors you gather. I know what comes for you…. it comes for me as well."  
  
"Good. Maybe we could throw you a goodbye party when they come to get you." Tony was ever so done, that is until, Loki changed the play mid game.  
  
Loki's voice calmed, almost softened. "Stark. Think of me as you will. A mad man, a monster, a childish creature in need for attention. Mark me as you will. I care not."  
  
Though he did. But as before, another time will serve that story best.  
  
"You may demonize me and distrust my intentions. I would think less of you if you didn’t." Loki paused. The growling between the two man now oddly turning to concerned hushed sincerity, whether real or not, Tony still couldn’t tell. Though something in him actually believed the guy.  
  
…Again. Bad choices. Keep up already.  
  
"I came here for a reason. Of all the galaxies and all the worlds I chose here. I chose you. For a reason. I am offering you all that I can of defense and learning… what you cherish most, yes?"  
  
Tony didn’t answer but that was a solid win.  
  
"The magics… the sciences you have yet to discover. The protections and passages you have yet to unveil… I offer that and more."  
  
Tony’s words were sharp and direct, "And the catch?"  
  
There was no devious grin. No hissing or pompous retort. Only reply. One that strangely did not sit well with him.  
  
"I saved your life because I need you... I am sick… dying."  
  
Though Tony did oddly feel uncomfortable with that fact, something he should definitely re-asses, he still didn’t show it. His reply once again sharp, ‘And?’  
  
And there it was. That little grin of his. "And-… I need your help."  
  
Tony couldn’t hold back the laughter. A king of sarcasm. "Wow! …Really!? You got some balls on you!"  
  
Loki nodded slightly and replied, "I am mostly male, yes."  
  
Tony paused and then raised his hand in a gesture to hush him. "Nope. I don’t want to know your weird alien shit. Not right now anyway. Wait until I have a few more bottles of scotch in me first before allowing me to table the 'mostly' part of that."  
  
Loki chuckled and attempted to shift around again, clearly in pain. After what Loki had told Tony he wasn’t overly sure now whether his pain was due to the energy blast he took or perhaps he really was sick and having a hard time healing.  
  
"You and yours have studied the tesseract. It is no longer in my possession. I will be unable to return to Asgard for some time... to study what was capture of it there. I am left to your people and your extensive history of having it here in your realm. I know you have studied it. And-…"  
  
Tony cut him off, again. "Wait. You want us to help your magical tummy ache with tesseract tech!?" Tony scoffed. "Hell no. But nice try."  
  
"You do not understand… In wielding it for as long as I did it’s energies tangled with mine. My magic has not been the same since. It has changed me in some way, left it’s mark. And it is slowly defeating me."  
  
"And what do you think I can do for you!? Outside of making a few calls to some ‘mismatched’ friends of mine?"  
  
Loki softly laughed, "You keep threatening to do so and yet you still have yet to summon them. In fact… why did you not summon your fellow Avengers the moment after the firestorm ceased? Or as I rested?"  
  
All valid questions really. Ones similar to those Pepper had asked him before he went into the room. Questions he still had no answer to.  
  
"We can aide one another. You know this realm is vulnerable. You know what I have access to and beyond. All I ask is for your aide in your energy magics. Your sciences of power." Loki’s eyes went to the light glowing beneath Tony’s chest. "My energy is being absorbed, transformed in some way… and soon there will be nothing left of me. While I’m sure that has been a long awaited dream of yours…’ Tony half smiled, ‘I also know you are the kind of man that would stop at nothing to protect what you hold dear."  
  
Tony sadly grinned, "As are you… its just always been yourself."

Loki smiled and slowly blinked. "Is as if you know me."  
  
Tony smiled at that and then looked at him for a long time. Took in everything said between them, everything offered.  
  
Fuck.  
  
Was he really going to do this?  
  
"If I take your bait then whats the trick? How are planning on screwing us all over?"  
  
Loki once again found himself rolling his eyes and sighing. Tony apparently had a talent for triggering such responses in people.  
  
"I would give you my word though I know that holds little to no weight with you. So, instead I give you my actions."  
  
"Go on."  
  
"Keep your metal men on me at all times. Monitor me with your mechanical eyes and ears. Have your Avenger playmates on call. Allow me to show you step by step I can be trusted. Perhaps miracles will take place and we could actually build something those, outside of creatures like you and I, know as trust."  
  
"I’ll never trust you."  
  
"I doubt you could ever truly trust yourself... Yet, regardless... you may trust in my need for survival… as you can certainly trust in your own."  
  
Tony paused. Deep in thought once more. This game was far too heavy and layered. Too dangerous and hidden with traps and both men knew it. Somehow it brought Tony reassurance knowing that Loki didn’t trust him either. It made them even in some way. Having the god weakened in some way, sick, also made him feel far more matched than their last encounter. Also, Tony had plenty of time to play with all the new specs he took of energy read outs during the invasion. He had worked up a nice little barrier trick he was dying to try out on the smug son of a bitch anyway. Tony was a jack of all trades, something always up his sleeve... The only problem was-... Loki matched him in that regard.  
  
What worried him the most was how strangely comfortable he seemed to be around him. Which, as ridiculous as it sounds, in turn made him uncomfortable. He knew Loki had a way of charm and tricks. But so did Tony and he knew Loki knew that too.  
  
Loki waited for Tony for some time before his concern with impatience, much like Tony’s, got the best of him. "Well? Shall we strike a bargain?"  
  
Tony’s heart was beating intensely behind his reactor. Trying to keep his cool was always a ridiculous priority but it suited his personality well. After a time he looked to one of his sentinels. "Stand down." And it did, the other following obediently.  
  
Loki didn’t miss that opportunity and address them, "Good dogs."  
  
Tony looked at him and casually said, "You know this is a terrible idea on both of us?"  
  
Loki laughed and nodded, "Indeed!"  
  
Tony Stark reached out a hand to the sickly unstable diva in his bed, trying to ignore how that thought could have easily explained himself just as well.  
  
Tony smiled, "To bad choices!"  
  
Loki graced his long fingers over Tony’s rough hand, the two men now shaking on their deal, and replied, "To survival."

Tony jumped in and added just one more thing for safe measure, "But! No more flirting."

Loki laughed, "Come now Stark. Let us not make anymore promises we know we can not keep."

Tony smiled, turned, and finally left the room. Leaving his metal men to watch over his new business partner.  
  
Both shook on it. Both didn’t trust it. Both felt far too comfortable in a completely uncomfortable situation.  
  
But again...  
  
Bad choices. Survival. Keep up.


	4. Numbers

* * *

  _“I spoke of my desire of finding a friend, of my thirst for a more intimate sympathy with a fellow mind than had ever fallen to my lot...”_  
_― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein_

* * *

 

Tony shared with Rhodey and Pepper everything he felt they needed to hear; which in all honesty wasn't much. His summary was sweet and to the point though not overly received with high praise.  
  
They took the conversation to the expected places… we can’t trust him, he’ll screw you over, this is too dangerous… blah blah… Tony knew it already, he and Loki already covered that territory. He wasn’t feeling in the mood for scolding. He felt as though he and Loki had covered that well enough already as well. It took him awhile to convince them both he wasn’t insane or under some alien mind control. Though they weren’t quite sold on those two possibilities no longer being on the table he was at least left to throw their contributions out for process. Pep eventually agreed to keep things under wraps for now leaving Rhodey to agree to help in the monitoring of their good friend Loki. They were both less than thrilled…  
  
Over time plans and plots were made. A turbulent construct of egg shells all prepped for tip toe. There were more than a few road blocks to surpass, let-alone discover, and Tony was pretty battered and exhausted from the chaos Loki brought to his door step… more like busted through his doorstep.  
  
The last thing Tony heard as Pepper walked with Rhodey to the elevator was, ‘I am not cleaning this mess up,’ as she gestured to the dismantled penthouse around her. Rhodey followed suit, ‘ _Damn right your not._ He should make Mr. High-And-Mighty take care of his own messes…’ Their sarcasm could be heard even when the doors of the elevator closed. Their attitudes echoing as it ventured down. He knew they would both be back sooner rather than later. Pep going out to gather some more medical supplies from other areas of the tower, Rhodey going to pick up his gear; the War Machine suit… although they had splattered stars and strips on him as if he had become property of Cap and changed his awesome name to Iron Patriot.  
  
Tony scoffed as he walked towards his once pristine bedroom, _"Ptff_ … still doesn’t sound better."  
  
When he re-entered the room Loki had shifted to sitting up in the bed though he really didn’t look like he was enjoying it all too much. Tony smiled when Loki’s eye caught his. Tony's playful smart-ass self reemerging, **"Come now!** Don’t get up and get all dolled up for me." Loki sighed and looked away. ‘By all means please continue to bleed all over my things."  
  
_"Ah yes_ … your charming prattle. _However did I survive before without it?_ "  
  
Tony chuckled before his smile was stripped by concern as another surge of green sparks seemed to escape Loki’s wound.  
  
_"Okay-_ … I said bleed not go all bug light on us."  
  
Loki was clearly in physical pain though he continued to move and hide what he could behind  a mask of strained smiles. Something Tony could relate to well. " _Not sparking your interest is it?"_ Loki asked before swinging himself around and resting his feet on the floor. His long dark hair falling around his shoulders and face. Tony was feeling uncomfortable with the idea of the guy moving around. Not only because it showed he had some strength still in him but it would also gave him more opportunity to cause trouble with things around the tower. That and maybe he was a bit worried about the guy falling over and hurting himself further… _maybe_ … but probably not… he’ll deny it at least.  
  
"Is it some kind of radiation poisoning from the cube?" Tony asked as he watched Loki’s side for another reaction.  
  
Tony wasn’t sure if Loki growled a hiss or hissed a growl but he certainly sounded frustrated, "I am not certain."  
  
Loki paused and drew in some long breaths before attempting to move again. "It is unknown to me whether my changes are manifesting as a result of the tesseract’s energy-influence poisoning me or-… whether it caused the transformations and my body it rejecting it causing it to react and attempt to purge it from my system. Regardless… things are not going well."  
  
Tony nodded, "Thats for sure."  
  
He moved slowly towards the side of the bed where Loki looked to be attempting to stand. "Don’t be a hero and try to stand on your own." Loki glared at him with a strained smile before doing as he chose and moving to stand anyway. Tony found himself instinctually moving to Loki’s aide. An arm wrapping around his back, going under Loki’s arm so he could put some weight onto Tony’s shoulder. Tony’s other hand braced against Loki’s chest, careful not to touch the wound at his side. Tony wasn’t sure if Loki had paused to hold back a rush of pain from being expressed as he moved or if he was simply disgusted, if not embarrassed, that Tony had moved to aide him. Regardless, the two men stood for a moment, pressed and braced against one another, waiting for Loki to either move forward or back down. Loki first looked to Tony with a questionable look. He wasn’t sure if the big guy was trying to question why Tony was helping him move or why Tony didn’t seem to be overly intimidated by him. Who knows really… But after a few moments Loki finally began to move forward.  
  
"Baby steps there kiddo! Don’t want you to break a hip! You elder types and your need for independence, _I tell yah_!"  
  
" _Elder!_?" Loki questioned as they moved towards the door-frame, moving between the two sentinels. "I may have more centuries upon me than you but for my species I am still quite young. So save your jests for another!"  
  
They slowly moved past the door and down the hall. Loki’s height towering over Tony though working in both of their advantages as Tony helped him to move in a certain way that made their difference in height beneficial.  
  
_"Young_!?" Tony laughed, "What are you? Thirty something going on _ah- thousand_!? How old are you?"  
  
"Do you really wish to speak of age Stark? With that lovely splattering of grey scattered across your hair?" Loki grinned as Tony mocked dropping in jaw in outrage.  
  
"Watch it highness! You may hurt my pride!" Tony oddly enjoyed his random bantering with Loki. It somehow made this whole thing easier.  
  
"You mean to say there could ever been a weakness in the hide of your pride? _Such lies you speak."_ Loki’s grinned immediately faded as another wave of pain washed through him, triggering another small light show at his side. Tony saw it clearly, he even felt it. The sparking green energy shocked him but not in a painful manner. More of a vibration that tickled down his side. It was weird… but what about this situation wasn’t? Tony paused until Loki began to move forward again. Step by step.  
  
The odd mess of men eventually made it to one of Stark’s smaller labs. It had very little damage done to it during Loki’s grand entrance which made things easier. Tony helped Loki down onto an inclined slab usually reserved for one of his suits. Loki clearly disapproved and moved himself, painfully, to sit atop a work table as Tony turned to grab some medical supplies and a random assortment of tools and gadgets. Tony grabbed a cart resting at the side of one of the large work tables and began piling all sorts of things together and eventually rolled it over to the table Loki flung himself upon. Tony called to Jarvis, _"Hey J_ ! Raise the lightening in here by twenty percent."  
  
"Certainly sir." The ever faithful A.I. responding by slowly raising the lights.  
  
Loki squinted as the light assaulted his eyes. After a few seconds of adjusting to the change he scanned the ceiling of the room looking for the speakers and sensors Jarvis used to take in readings and communicate back and forth with his beloved master. It was a good distraction for Tony as he moved in to look at the bandage. But he knew better than to approach a wild animal’s wound without consent.  
  
"Hey! _Sunshine_! I’m going to take a better look at what is going on here… _don’t claw at me, okay_!?"  
  
Loki rolled his eyes and then held his breath as Tony’s skilled hands began to work on the covering to his wound. Tony didn’t want to hurt the guy, though he certainly had ever right to, but something in him took it slow and gentle. Tony was a master with his hands but he was accustomed to working with wire and metal, not flesh. He had a different history of skills when it came to that. Though he was sure Loki wouldn’t be all to impressed with seeing those skills at the moment… _at the moment that is_. Dammit! He couldn’t ever follow his own rule of no flirting even in his own damn thoughts!  
  
Tony slowly pealed back the bandaging, revealing something quiet surprising and not present beforehand. Loki was right, something was transforming.  
  
The wound was bordered by a twisted burned mess of red and blackened skin. But the wound in the center of the blast sight was iridescent, refracting light, almost insect like. Shimmers of green and small shades of blues danced under the surface. This was certainly beyond Tony’s knowledge base but the nerd in him couldn’t hold back his curiosity. His large dark eyes widened at the sight, leaving him to almost completely ignore the owner of the oddity. Loki looked down at his side with disappointment, knowing far more of what such a sight could mean. He did find Tony’s reaction to be quiet precious, though he would never admit it.  
  
"Do you look upon all the toys in your work shop in such a manner?" Loki’s words broke Tony’s gaze. His smirk answered with a _fuck you_ grimace fro Tony.  
  
"The toys I typically have in here are nowhere near as broken as you… _or as annoying_."  
  
Loki laughed, his laughter quickly fading to pain as the wound at his side glowed green and then fade back. Tony watched the reaction intently, already attempting to connect information in his head. Tony soon got to shuffling around. Moving devices to Loki’s side, scanning and measuring what he could. Tony’s thoughts far away and deep in analysis. From time to time he would call out commands to Jarvis to analyze something or report on various diagnostics he had in the works. Loki was beyond patient, a well behaved patient… _for once_. The two caught up in discovery and process. The rhythm of this dance disrupted from time to time but sparks and lights of green, bringing Tony’s attention to the show and Loki’s attention back to pain.  
  
Minutes turned to hours. Hours turned to _holy-shit-what-time-is-it_? Between the data collected and the information assessed Rhodey had arrived back to the tower. Making himself known every now and then with a walk by. Pepper had come back a long time ago with medical supplies she left to Rhodey to deliver. She spent the rest of her time cleaning up some of the mess made in the assault, although she swore she wouldn’t. Rhodes helped as well, using the suit to move large objects that had fallen or been blasted apart.  
  
Loki didn’t act phased at all that the other two were in on the plan or even in the building. The only change Tony saw in him was his demeanor when War Machine would do his walk-bys. It was evident Loki didn’t enjoy being perceived as vulnerable. Every walk by resulted in Loki covering his wound until the two men were left alone once more. Tony could respect that. He would most likely do the same.  
  
After a time, near the tenth yawn to escape Tony, Loki sighed and softly spoke, "The day is done. What work has been made can be put to rest until you wake well rested yourself."  
  
Tony smiled and shook his head, _"Awww… you worried about me already pumpkin_?"  
  
Loki grinned, "Of course not. I simply do not want you so exhausted that you inevitably falter in your work."  
  
Tony laughed and mock placed a hand to his reactor, _"Oh Lokes… so touching_."  
  
Loki paused and raised an eyebrow, "….. **Lokes** …?"  
  
Tony stood away from the panel of projected screens of data in front of him and smiled as he stretched, _"What_? Too early in the relationship for pet names?" Tony grinned, "Cause I was thinking you could address me as Sir or Master."  
  
Loki’s smile gave it away before he said a damn thing, _"Oh come now… you’ll need to earn such titles._ "  
  
He would have ranted about no flirting be he walked right into that one as well… He needed to stop putting his foot in his mouth… before he started to put something else in there-…

 **Wow**. _He really needed sleep._  
  
When Loki moved off the work table his movements seemed to be far less strained. He seemed to be getting more mobile though he still looked half dead. Tony began shutting down parts of his work, asking Jarvis to lock things down. He turned to Loki, standing topless in the lab.  
  
"I’ll grab you some clothes so you don’t need to Tarzan it through the place." Tony moved to the door frame to wait for Loki.  
  
Loki moved slowly to follow his lead, "Your words and references are often lost upon me though I doubt they are overly necessary for me to learn."  
  
The two of them continued their chit chat down the hall and back to Tony’s bedroom. Rhodey and sentinels not far behind, worse dance chaperones ever! Tony at least didn’t need to help Loki move anymore. When they got back to Tony’s master bedroom Loki sat down upon the bed and watched Tony opened and shifted through a massive closet along the back wall, almost taking up the entire back space, filled with far too many suits one person could ever need, along with various other clothes.

  
"Do find me something long in the torso... _if you can_ ," Loki poked with a grin.  
  
Tony mocked laughter as he pulled out an old Judas Priest tee and threw it at Loki’s head. Loki allowed it to hit him in the face without protest and slowly unravelled it, looking upon it questionably. "Shut up and put it on. It would due you good to listen to their genius anyway!"  
  
" _Is that so_?" Loki droned as he pulled the shirt over his head and down along his torso, gently covering the new dressing on his wound.  
  
**"Yeah**! _It is_! And if you give me anymore sass I’ll force you to listen to them all day during our next appointment!"  
  
Loki sighed and pulled his long hair back from his shoulders and into a makeshift bun by wrapping it his hair around and into itself. Tony seemed to be caught off guard by the sight of the alien god sitting on _his_ bed, in _his_ tee, hair back, and resembling a sleepy puppy. Tony didn’t realize he was smiling until Loki tilted his head and asked him in that smug way only Loki could, " _What_ ?"  
  
Tony shook his head and lied, "Nothing."  
  
Loki’s eyes narrow but he didn’t press, not tonight. Tony yawned and stretched again, motioning to his bed, "You can stay here. You’ve already soiled it with your alien ways… I’ll grab one of the beds in the spare rooms." He looked off for a moment before looking back to Loki, feeling odd he didn’t reply back. Tony found Loki staring at him again with a question upon.  
  
"You keep me hidden… dress my wounds… dress _me_ even… and make such treacherous oaths…" Loki’s voice was soft, his words slowly spoken.  
  
Tony paused for a minute and shrugged, "We all self destruct in different ways." He then smiled and turned to lean against the door-frame before leaving. **"Remember**. My boys will be watching you. And that energy field I told you about during our little research montage is still in place. You pull any stunts _and hell will break loose_ …. **got it**?"  
  
Loki drew in a slow breath and nodded, a small smile upon him.  
  
Tony turned to leave the room, the two sentinels still present in the room behind him. Before he could escape down the hall he heard something that caught him off guard, something that Loki was way too good at.  
  
"...Over a thousand but under twenty."  
  
Tony paused and slowly turned his head to look at Loki.  
  
"You asked me earlier how old I was… I am over a thousand in human years, but with regards to human life-span and the life-span of my birth people… _under twenty_."  
  
Tony didn’t move. He didn’t respond for some time.  
  
Jesus. He was just a kid. He joked in the past about Loki throwing a temper tantrum but that wasn’t far off.  
  
_"How fare under twenty_?" Tony asked, his voice quiet.  
  
Loki thought for a moment and answered, "Well over ten but under twenty… _I can not be sure_ … human lives are so fleeting."  
  
Shit.  
  
That seemed to shatter part of the image he had of Loki. Yeah. He killed and hurt a lot of people. So did Tony in his past working as a weapon’s manufacturer. Sure, Loki had some intense grudges and mood swings, but who didn’t these days? And sure, he attempted to wipe out him and all his friends but the guy was still, in many regards, quite a young. The-son-of-a-bitch still should have known better but still a kid and--...Shit. This crap was starting to hurt his head and he was way too tired for this shit.  
  
Tony finally slowly nodded his head. "Get some sleep Lokes. We still got a lot to work on in the morning."  
  
Loki nodded to him as he turned and continued to walk down the hall.  
  
**"And no monkey business**!" Tony yelled over his shoulder as he turned the hall to touch base with Rhodey and Pepper.  
  
So much was racing through his thoughts and all he really wanted to do was crash. When he finally saw Rhodes he was still in the suit but motioned a finger to his faceplate, silently telling Tony to hush as he gestured to the redhead curled up on one of the couches, sleeping. Tony smiled and moved closer to speak in quiet tones to Rhodey about where they all were at.  
  
After Rhodey and Tony came to an agreed upon stopping point Tony went to wake Pep, to move her to one of the spare rooms but didn’t have the heart to wake her. Instead he covered her with a plush blanket and set a glass of water at her side. Rhodes went to check on the sentinels before heading down to monitor some of the video feed from the bedroom, not that he needed to. Jarvis was well informed to keep a close eye on their guest. Rhodey was old fashioned and tended to trust human eyes over artificial any day.  
  
Tony finally found himself collapsing on a bed moments after leaving Pep. He was beyond exhausted. He was accustomed to working long hours and days when he was engulfed in a project. But he was only human and needed to find some rest even if was only a few hours. He worried about Loki though. Not overly in a distrusting way, more of a starting-to-feel-bad-for-the-guy way… which he knew most definitely should be re-assessed.  
  
They had more work to do. Loki had his part of the bargain to begin to fulfill starting tomorrow. Tony knew he would eventually need to run some of the diagnostics and specs with Bruce. Banner was the pro at radiation and other forms of energy. He just wasn’t sure how he was going to A.) Sell Bruce on the ‘lets-help-Loki-to-help-ourselves campaign. And B.) How he would involved Banner without getting Natasha involved too. The last thing he needed was SHIELD busting in. He was beyond happy for Bruce and Nat, they were adorable together in a cute mismatched way, but these days what one knew the other did. Bruce had a difficult time not spilling the beans to Nat, she had a way of milking him dry.  
  
Tony sighed into the pillow beneath his face. Damn. This just gets stickier and sticker. Awesome.

Part of the cluttered mess of it all was that damn comfortable ease the two had between them. Not Bruce and Nat, Tony and Loki. After their initial barks and bites at one other things seemed to easily fall into place… sarcasm, banter, mutual annoyance, worry, and shared laughter…. Were they _bromancing_ or s _omething else_? Maybe they were just covering the surface of their mutual hate and mistrust of one another with mock signs of like and ease? …. _maybe_?  
  
Fuck it. For right now he needed sleep. He’ll find more time to psychoanalyze all that crap later, along with all that data he had no idea what to do with. For right now, **_sleep_**. Tony allowed himself to tune out and shut down. Trying his best to welcome sleep.  
  
….  
  
_Under twenty_ …  
  
Damn.


	5. Are we really going there?

* * *

_“It is true, we shall be monsters, cut off from all the world; but on that account we shall be more attached to one another.”  
― Mary Shelley, _Frankenstein_  
_

* * *

 

 Tony’s dreams where often a chaotic mess of self loathing, traumatic flashes, and loss. It never mattered what he tried to do, things would always end up the same. The sky would open up and hell would spill over the earth; alien or not. Things changed after New York. More changed after Ultron… He was constantly finding himself at odds with what was right. Sacrifice the few to save the many… create some demons to save some angels… It all played out well in the end, just that— not everyone would come out as clean as others. But Tony knew he wasn’t Cap… Tony was a different kind of animal… not always loyal and well trained… but he still got the job done. And the businessman in him knew that sometimes you had to loose a little to make a little.  
  
And was that what he was doing? Loosing his distrust of an old enemy to gain some trust in establishing safety? Loosing his ground with the Avengers to gain to aide of a target? Making a pact with a demon and breaking some halos? And for what? Promises? His dreams showed him promises… Promises of a world burned and enslaved, laid to waste… And it didn’t matter what he did… things would always end up the same.  
  
Sometimes you simply grow tired of the same old dream.  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
When Tony finally surrendered to the fact that he wasn’t going to be getting anymore sleep than he already had he finally rolled himself out of bed. He stood quiet and still for sometime before his mind really kicked in. Jarvis welcomed him into the new day with his typical greeting and charm. Informing Tony of all calls, alerts, and emails; as well as adding a report of his guest. Tony asked for the feed from the room to be projected on the tablet he had brought with him from the lab. He paused as he focused on what he saw.  
  
Loki was sitting on the floor of the bedroom, by the large windows overlooking the cityscape of New York. Tony thought he was meditating at first and then noticed a small book in Loki’s hand. …he was reading?… hmm… A book worm? Makes sense. Tony was known for speed reading and the ability to absorb large amounts of knowledge in a short amount of time. But it did appear as though Loki was taking his time with the text in his hand. Tony wondered though how much of what he was seeing was real. Thor had documented in the SHIELD file he had read on Loki that he had the ability to project doubles, at times more, showing a false projection of his movements and actions… decoys.  
  
"Hey Jarvis! Scan the room for me. Where is Loki?' Jarvis obeyed and reported back quickly.  
  
"Loki is in the master bedroom sir where he has been since you left him six hours ago."  
  
He heard him and trusted his A.I.’s programming though he felt distrusting of what he was seeing. Why? Who the hell knows. Tony danced his fingertips along the surface of his tablet, alerting one of the sentinels in the room to relay a message to Loki. The sentinel’s eyes turned a shade of blue as it reported in a robotic manner, "Hey, book worm. You ready to get to work? I’ll be in the kitchen. Don’t kill anyone on your way from point A to paint B." Loki slightly turned his head to listen. The book in his hands immediately fading away within a haze of green light. He smiled softly when the message was done and slowly stood. Stretching his long arms and spine. As he did so he froze and winced in pain, a hand going to his side. He sighed and turned to venture to the kitchen, his lovely metal nannies escorting him.  
  
When Tony turned the corner to grab some coffee in the kitchen before starting in on his little pet project he was surprised to see War Machine, Rhodey, standing just to the side of the kitchen counter. Tony paused for a moment tilted his head, looking for movement or a reaction. A large grin then spreading across his face accompanied by a chuckle.  
  
"Sleeping on the job are we?"  
  
The suit jostled and stepped back, as if sparking to life. Rhodey quick to denial, "Wha!? …What!? Nah—… Nah man, I was just lost in tho-aaaawwwwwght…" He tried to say while unsuccessfully fighting back a yawn.  
  
"Your adorable… aaand a liar." Tony joked as he walked to the counter behind the bar, shuffling things around preparing his morning feast of coffee. "Take a break, go catch some sleep in one of the spare rooms on one of the other floors. The Iron Legion and I got this until you can catch up on some sleep. I got two on him now and can call the rest if need be."  
  
Rhodey was about to argue when Tony gave him his serious don't-mess-with-papa face and Rhodey raised his hands in mock surrender. After getting his friend off for some much deserved sleep Tony rustled around for a mug and began to hunt down the sugar when he sensed eyes on him. He turned to find Loki sitting at the kitchen’s bar. Loki was still wearing his old tee, his hair pulled back from his sharp features. Loki sat casually, one leg pulled into his chest, resting a foot on the stool as he sat. His bright green eyes on Tony. Loki wore no soft smile or devious grin. Instead a blank look, seemingly tired, though Tony read deeper than that.  
  
"Well now… you are having way to much fun… you need to settle down there party monster." Tony turned to pour himself a cup and turned to offer some to Loki, he slowly shook his head no. Tony took a long sip as he scanned Loki. The two sentinels on either side of him flanking him though Loki paid them no attention. Tony wasn’t sure if that was reassuring or worrisome. One may pay no mind to something they had no power over… then again… ‘an ant has no quarrel with a boot'… or some bat shit crazy thing like that. Perhaps Loki simply wasn’t threatened by them?  
  
Loki seemed different than the day before. He was quiet and that made Tony uneasy. Loki was that way throughout the rest of the morning. Quiet, withdrawn… Tony did little poking and prodding of him in the lab… which certainly raised some humorous flirtatious anecdotes that he chose to keep to himself for right now. He knew Loki wasn’t in the playful space. That was also discouraging. In what time the two had spent together since Loki’s new arrival they had shared in quiet the bromance. Clever and at times flirtatious wit thrown back and forth, sarcasm tossed around carelessly, and of course enough attitude between the two of them to put to shame any diva who dared try.  
  
But, so far today, in their early morning hours together, things had changed. Tony finally addressed it, he was good at avoiding awkward though at times charged at it; gaining some false sense of control was sometimes worth it. “Hey. I know you aren’t always a ray of sunshine and I know you’ve been injured but-… its getting worse isn’t it?”  
  
“Why must you continuously refer to me as sunlight?”  
  
“Not sunlight! Sunshine.”  
  
“And it matters how?” Loki hissed, his irritability bleeding through.  
  
“It matters because its a song. And if you behave today I’ll sing it to you as I tuck you in tonight.”  
  
Loki was clearly becoming more agitated. Tony was poking the bear and not truly meaning to. He just often had a difficult time with real conversation.  
  
“Must you mock me Stark? I am in no gaming mood.” If looks could kill Tony would certainly be a mummified corpse by now.  
  
“You didn’t answer me…” Tony’s tone lowered. He waited again. This time walking away from several projections he was tinkering with. Tony moved to stand in front of Loki, leaning back on a work table he crossed his arms and continued to wait. Both men were quite stubborn… this could take decades…  
  
Loki stared at Tony for some time before finally rolling his eyes and answering, “Yeeess… it grows worse. My illness has not improved.” Loki looked to a pile of scrolls and books he had manifested that morning. They were scattered across the table Tony leaned against. He heard Loki’s non-verbals loud and clear.  
  
“Look. I told you I’d help you if you helped me. And that is what I’m trying to do. I’m a machine kinda guy but not much gets past me. I am grateful for what you’ve brought to the table so far. I may just need some help with this alien stuff.”  
  
Tony truly was grateful. What time he had spent with the alien tech and information Loki had given up so far was enough to spark his imagination for a very long time. But Tony was still at a loss when it came to purging the ‘infection’ from Loki’s system and transforming the energy burning through him into something non-toxic… He was in Banner territory and he knew it. Though Tony doubted he could get the two working together let-alone making it so Nat didn’t find out. If Banner knew, Nat knew… if Nat knew, Barton knew… so on and so on… It was like a twisted game of telephone.  
  
Loki seemed to soften in some way to what Tony said, though, not in a positive way. The poor thing was back to channelling sad-puppy. Tony sighed and moved closer to Loki. "Okay, lets get back to work. Come on, lets see it.” Tony nodded to Loki’s side. The tall Asgardian stood begrudgingly and slowly removed the old band tee adorning him. Tony found himself watching the way Loki's muscles moved as he pulled the shirt off.  Loki was lean though certainly not scrawny. Loki’s thin lips found their first smirk of the day at watching Tony’s eyes on him. The engineer wasn’t known for hiding his desires. And why should he be? Loki certainly wasn’t. Both of them had already heavily shared in mutual teasing. While it was part of both of their natural characters to be flirtatious it was evident that the two really did share in a mutual attraction. When Tony realized he had been looking for far too long he swallowed hard and shrugged playfully.  
  
“What?! I’m observing my patient… just making sure everything is in working order.” Tony grinned as his hands moved to peel back the bandage at Loki’s side.    
  
Loki’s smirk remained, his bright eyes watching Tony’s as he tended to his side. “Oh yes, I see… Observing…”  
  
Tony’s smile was starting to look a bit blushed; being so close to one another with his hands on him didn’t help anything either.  
  
“Yes! Observing. Its all very sciency!” Tony shook his head, joking for Loki to disregard. The smiles on their faces didn’t last once the bandage was off.    
  
The wound was no longer burned around the edges. Loki’s ivory skin had healed quickly from burned to healed. The iridescence within the wound was gone. Though it had changed colors. The vibrant blues and greens were now gone… leaving a muted dark blue in it’s wake, dark raised lines weaved through the wound like scars.  
  
Tony smoothed his his fingers over the wound slowly. “Well… I have no idea if this is good or bad. It doesn’t look as magical or painful as it did before… it almost looks like—…” Tony’s words froze when his eyes looked up to Loki’s. He looked horrified. Not only that but he damn god had tears in his eyes… fucking tears… What the hell is Tony suppose to do with that?!  
  
“Lokes! …Are-.. are you okay? Do you know what this means?”  
  
Loki didn’t answer, he didn’t even move.  
  
“Hey… Lokes!… Loki!” Tony grabbed his arm and shook him, talk about poking a bear. But yet… nothing. Tony watched him. Waited. He was obviously freaked out. Maybe he knew there was no turning back or perhaps something else. Either way he wouldn’t be able to help until Loki snapped out of it. Shaking him and yelling his name didn’t seem to help. So lets go with plan B.  
  
Tony slowly brought his index finger to Loki’s chin and lifted his gaze to his own. Emeralds looked at him, a broken man looked at him. A sight Tony was far too familiar with seeing in his own damn mirror.  
  
“Lokes… talk to me.”  
  
Loki’s lips parted, words were upon them but then seemingly feel away again. Tony found himself watching them. He felt warm all over, his heart was racing. His finger was still under Loki’s chin. By the time his thumb had moved to ghost over Loki’s bottom lip Tony had realized how close the two had hovered together. Tony pulled back and dropped his hand, clearing his throat he paused and took in a few breaths.  
  
“Um… okay… sorry… I uh-… awkward. Thats on me.” He paused looking for what more to say. Loki's expression had changed. He seemed almost hurt by Tony’s recoil. Though he appeared to be back from whatever deer-the-in-headlights trip he had just taken. Tony walked away and moved back to one of the projected screens his attention had previously been attached to. Loki watched him for a time before quietly moving. Tony began muttering on about readings and assessments. Trying to fill the air space between them with the task at hand. He talked about energy and unknown compounds, radiation and mutated cells; trying to distract away from whatever freaked Loki out about the blue at his side. Tony became so wrapped up in his own distraction that he didn’t even realize Loki had positioned himself at his side.  
  
Tony startled slightly and sighed. His eyes back to the screen, ‘Ssshit… I need to put a bell on you or something. I’m pretty sure I have a strict no ninja rule in the workshop so—… you may want to keep that in mind when you feel like being all sneaky and stealth like.”  
  
Tony could feel Loki’s eyes on him, it was unsettling. He continued with his work. Rambling on about choices and tests. Loki eventually moved from Tony’s side to his back, his chest so close Tony could swear he could feel his body heat. Loki nodded to the screen and in a slow tone asked, “You’re Midgardian sciences mean little to me Stark… speak to me in a manner I can fully follow.”  
  
Tony swallowed and tilted his head, his eyes still on the screen. Though all the warmth in him seemed to be going to his back and-… other places… Which need not be thought of as that would most likely make things far worse.  
  
“Oookay… Um… There seems to be more than one thing going on here.” Tony pointed to an image of some readings showing three distinct patterns. “There is more than just your— magic or energy- whatever and the tesseract’s energy signature. There are clearly three readings here and I think that is what is messing with a great deal of our data.”  
  
“Three energy signatures?” Loki asked his mind searching for answers, his eyes on the screen, his body still way too close to Tony’s. Seriously… sexual tension was usually one of his favorite hobbies but this was ridiculous and seemed to be off somehow. He knew it was going to get worse and far more muddy before their bargain was over.  
  
“One is clearly tesseract, no denying that signature. This one-...” Tony pointed to another reading, “This one matches what we had one you when you last visited us and stabbed my friend in the heart, “And this—“ Tony went on but was cut off by Loki.  
  
“I was wondering when you were going to scold me for that.”  
  
Tony looked over his shoulder, an eyebrow raised.  
  
Loki played it off in a nonchalant playful manner, “Well he is fine now so let us continue. Head of your SHIELD and the like. Good for him.” Tony was still upset about it but admired Loki’s approach.  
  
“Oh yeah, no problem. I’m sure a lifetime of nightmares is just what the doctor ordered.”  
  
The two paused. It had gone from sad sick puppy, to chick flick stolen kiss moments, to _‘Hey remember all that bad shit you did?’_   Boy did they know how to keep a party on it’s toes.  
  
“Must we discuss this now?” Loki paused, looking down and over Tony’s shoulder. Tony was quiet for a moment, seemingly pouting. “Fine. But we are talking about it later.”  
  
“Will we also be talking of your desire for me?”  
  
Tony whipped his head around and locked eyes with Loki. Who was playing deer-in-the-headlights now? Both men stayed in his position for far too long. Loki’s bare chest a heartbeat from Tony’s back. Tony’s head turning back and upward to look to the way-to-tall alien god behind him. Their lips weren’t far apart in this position, but both were perfectly aware of that. Their eyes stayed on one another’s briefly before falling down to the other man’s lips.  
  
Fuck.  
  
It was like a life-time movie had set up in his lab. And not with some school girl next door, oh no, that would be too simple. It was with a sick supervillain alien deity… it was like a punchline to some ridiculous joke… A supervillain and a damaged superhero walk into a lab…. aaannndd—…. And nothing! Nothing should happen. Not that something certainly couldn’t. He could easily turn around and grab a fist full of Loki’s hair and force his tongue down his mouth as he pushed him back to pin him against the wall… But such thoughts certainly wouldn’t fill the mind of one of Earth’s mighty Avengers… no no… certainly not……… nope.  
  
Oh shit.  
  
Tony had character though, he had some control, contrary to what most thought. Tony eventually turned his attention back to the screen. Which as one can imagine wasn't easy. Taking a moment to attempt to clear his mind and shake this soap opera from his mind. For Tony? Humor always did the trick.  
  
“Don’t play innocent pretty boy. Its quite clear who has the hots for who in this situation.And why wouldn't you? I'm gorgeous. If you need to quench your unbridled love for me then I completely understand but we sorta have a job to do first…”  
  
Loki rolled his eyes though a smile stayed upon him. Tony of course continued on with his work, a smug look upon him, “I know it must be difficult for you to be spending so much time with a man like me, pawing and poking at you… You’ll just need to learn some self control. I know thats difficult for you but I have a small amount of faith in you.”  
  
“Do you ever tire of hearing your voice?” Loki asked, his eyes back on the screen.  
  
Tony mocked a contemplative expression, “Hmm... I don’t think thats even possible.”  
  
The humor had broken most of the tension between them although the two never seemed to coexist without it, whether they were snapping at one another or playing the vixen role… Although Tony often had a difficult time feeling out the difference when it came to anything between the two.  
  
Loki brought them back to their intent. Reaching a finger to the screen in a graceful gesture, “And this? The third signature?”  
  
“I have no idea but I think it was an issue before old Tess ever contaminated you.” Loki’s brow lowered, a look of questioning upon him.  
  
“Speak plainly. Or I shall re-kindle our discussion on desire.” Loki teased, speaking his words in a manner that caused way too much of a reaction to Tony’s neck and skin to keep in relative control.  
  
“Okay! Uh-… See the first one is tesseract, the second clearly you from before, but the third we did pick up during your last visit. It was just so faint we cast it aside at first as background radiation. Like it was dormant within you until the tesseract caused some kind of reaction that in a sense kick started something.”  
  
Tony went on, slowly loosing his simpler explanations and slipping back into his typical technical jargon. He hadn’t realized he had lost Loki a mile back. Tony turned around to find Loki several feet away lost in his own world again. Thoughts sinking somewhere he clearly wasn’t comfortable.  
  
“You know what this is don’t you?” Tony watched him and waited.  
  
Loki turned and looked to him, his face expressionless. Tony could easily deal with most of Loki’s shades; angry, snarky, flirty, etc… Though he didn’t do well with sad Loki. This one was worse… blank Loki. Turned off, tuned out, numb. Tony learned he really didn't like indifferent emotionless Loki, it was too far off.  
  
“Yes.” Loki simply replied.  
  
Tony waited, impatiently, eventually gesturing for further information, “And? Are you going to fill me in or—?”  
  
“The-… the other signature… it is me.” Loki brought his hand to his side. His long fingers touching along the blue patch of skin. “It is my—… it is my true energy signature… my true self… my—… my real self.”  
  
Tony was lost, as he often was with the whole magic ordeal, but he could tell it had spun Loki into a bad space so he allowed it.  
  
“So—… you have two energy signatures? Two different kinds of— “ He strained to say the word but surrendered to it, “…of magic that are fighting one another?”  
  
…  
  
“Yes.”  
  
Tony was putting the pieces together. He had read of Loki’s adoption in his SHIELD file and knew he was a different species than Thor. He was described as being taken from an alien planet of ice and all kinds of sic-fi channel space adventure filler that Tony knew he really shouldn’t venture towards… But he was Tony Stark. And he did as he pleased, even against his better judgement.  
  
“Jotun magic against Aesir?” Tony asked as cool as he could, even toned, respectful, and quiet. The look on Loki’s face was of obvious surprise and curiosity.  
  
“You know more of me than I thought Avenger.” Loki walked away from Tony and to the work table where Tony's shirt was cast and began to put it back on to cover the Jotun skin upon his side.  
  
“And now I’m back to being addressed as an Avenger? When did that happen? I went from being your enemy to your caregiver and then your boo, and now back to enemy? How did that happen?”  
  
Both men paused. Loki trying to assess life and Tony trying to assess the moment.  
  
“I know this is a hot button topic for you. It is most adoptive kids but-…”  
  
“I am no child.” Loki’s words were blunt and cold. "And what in by the Norns is a boo?"  
  
“Its-.. its an Earth term for someone you've totally got the hots for because your an alien god with emotional issues who can't admit his complete and utter loss of control over a pesky little human." Tony replied, a grin upon him.  
  
Loki looked to him for a time before displaying his own soft grin.

"You truly are a pesky little human." Loki jested.

Tony somehow brought him back, grounding him as best he could with a few little jabs of humor.

"Quite little..."  
  
“Hey now! I'm fun sized thank you very much!" Tony smiled and then nodded to one of his screens, "Come on little orphan Annie! We can either go over some of this now and try to figure out how to purge the tesseract from your system and recharge your batteries or we can switch gears for right now and go over some of the toys and tech you’ve brought me?”  
  
“Orphan Annie?” Loki asked, his head tilting to the side, a look of confusion upon him, like a cat hearing a strange sound, it was precious.  
  
Tony chuckled and waved his hand in dismissal, “She is just a famous orphan in earth culture… forget it…”  
  
“Adoption is a common practice here, yes?”  
  
“Um- yeah!” Tony got quiet for a moment. They were dangerously heading towards more chick flick moments. But Tony did continue on, he somehow felt comfortable with it in this moment, “Even I was adopted by my father’s old business partner when my folks died… Obadiah…”  
  
He had hooked Loki’s interest. Loki's body language shifted, “And- all was once again well in your princely years, yes?”  
  
Tony smiled but Loki could tell it wasn’t sincere. “He tried to have me killed… to take over… I was a chess move for him… he was family to me… big scene, big tears, blah blah…”  
  
Loki’s interest stayed locked on Tony’s every word, “What happened?”  
  
Oh what a fun conversation… could they go back to threatening each other or at least the sexual tension? That was nice.  
  
…  
  
“He’s dead. It came down to me or him. A choice was made.”  
  
The Jotun and the human stood in silence for a time before Loki broke it, “I too was a game piece for my adoptive father… I killed my birth father to win the respect and love of my adoptive father.”  
  
“How did that go for you?”  
  
Loki smiled, though falsely, “Not well… I became a bit self-destructive… you?”  
  
Tony chuckled sadly, “I uh-… became less self destructive.”  
  
Loki’s gears were clearly turning, thoughts racing between them, “Imagine Stark… if you and I had done the opposite of one another in those moments… You more destructive and I dealt more with care… where would we both be now?"  
  
Shit. Things were getting real. Tony was sure they were one shot away from bro-hugging and a gallon of ice cream. But that would only lead to groping and fighting over who gets the last scoop. Both men had known of one another, thinking they knew enough of each other’s stories, though clearly missing intriguing details.  
  
“Does it ever freak you out that we have so much in common?” Tony asked, his smile now gone.  
  
Loki slowly shook his head yes, not speaking a word. Tony then decided to make the decision for them both. “Okay! Lets take a look at some more of those alien treasures you brought me and save some of that data for a little later. Let that other stuff cool down for a bit, yeah?"  
  
And that is what they did. They shifted gears quickly, chameleons avoiding the threat of vulnerability. Men like them had to learn to shift fast, turn the smile off or on within a blink of an eye. It suited them well enough for now. The rest of the morning and into the afternoon was spent with alien calculations, schematics, and data from all over the verse. Tony was is heaven and Loki was enjoying his reactions as he discovered and grasped each present as it was unwrapped for him, piece by piece. Throughout the hours their banter returned. Talking of everything and anything, just nothing too real. They flirted and got snarky, snapped and laughed. The two were certainly building a working relationship that both knew was far more than what showed on the surface. But anything more than that would be met with pause, if not restriction.  
  
It was clear from the beginning that both men liked on another which made their conflicts difficult. They were enemies, or at least they had been. SHIELD certainly still marked Loki as threat, so did many. People died… that was the plain and simple piece of it… And trust… how could anything ever go well between two men that didn’t trust one another? But it was all mirrored back onto himself. Tony’s past was littered with bodies… with war and chaos. He never pulled the trigger himself but he was the one building all the death toys, selling them, and shipping them out all over the globe… He knew to watch more carefully… He knew the margin of error… he ignored it in his days of sinful ignorance.  
  
Merchant of Death.  
  
God of Lies.  
  
What could go wrong?  
  
Right now, nothing. The two were working side by side, at times even shoulder to shoulder, which now and then would flare up even more flirtatious banter which both men attempted to dismiss or shoot down. Maybe not as strictly as they should have. But there it was again. A restriction. Something Tony was not accustomed to. Tony Stark knew what he liked and went for it, no shame, right? Loki seemed to be the same kind of fellow… hell, he went for the entire planet… And there it is yet again. Their histories. No matter how long ago or what they did afterwards their histories would follow them everywhere and anywhere. It was apparently enough to keep Tony behaving, Loki as well. They both had a good deal working out here, neither wanted to screw it up. Loki needed aid with his health and Tony was eating up all the new defenses he had at his fingertips… he just would find himself thinking of Loki at his fingertips.  
  
Which brought up another subject Tony couldn’t shake as he worked along his new business partner. Tony was always a sexual being, no denying that either. He typically went for women but not unknown to playing around from party to party with a fella or two. But he never found himself stealing glances, belly flutters, and blushing over one…. BLUSHING! … Tony Stark blushing! Oh dear god did he need a drink.  
  
Hours had pressed on and they were well into the afternoon. Rhodey and Pepper had made their visits, declared their opinions and cautions, and fluttered throughout the tower; staying clear of the labs Tony and Loki were utilizing. Allowing them the space and time they needed. And time they were given... Tony eventually stretched once his back could take no more leaning over one of the work tables. A yawn accompanied it. Loki looked to him with a smile, “Fading already my little human?”  
  
Tony scoffed, “Your little human? And when did that happen?” He asked as he stood and checked his messages on one of his tablets.  
  
“Just wait.” Loki replied, a devious grin upon him.  
  
Tony laughed and shook his head, “Please! I would so own you! Its not even funny!”  
  
Their smiles lingered. Tony's finally faltering when his eyes caught sight of Loki’s faint happy trail as he stretched his long torso backwards as the hours began to pull at him. Tony blinked and turned to tap a screen to run a few tests before calling over to Loki, “We should uh-… we should take a break… I’ll order us up something and you can grab a shower if you'd like.”  
  
Tony paused and turned to Loki, “What kinda of things do you like to eat? …souls of children… vegan stuff… what?”  
  
Loki grinned and walked to Tony, “I will try any Midgardian cuisine you present to me. I still feel ill, however, I should try to take in some nourishment.”  
  
Tony nodded and asked Jarvis to order some Thai food for them. Loki patiently waiting and understanding very little of what the engineer was ordering for them. Once that task done Loki turned to Tony, leaning his hip against the table at his side, and asking, “Now then, by shower--… you mean bathe, yes? Shall I find it myself or-…”  
  
Tony grinned and walked Loki to the other side of the floor, closer to the bedrooms, the sentinels following close behind. Tony had almost forgotten about their watchful eyes until they began to follow. Tony pointed out the the shower and explained briefly how to operate it. On his way out Loki called to him, “Not saying to aid me then?” Tony looked back to see Loki removing his shirt… again… Tony never thought he’d enjoy seeing his Judas Priest shirt cast aside so carelessly but he was becoming more and more grateful for the act each time. Tony scanned Loki’s figure, most likely for the hundredth time, only to catch Loki doing the same to him. Tony laughed coyly and replied, “Oh pumpkin, I don’ think that shower could handle the two of us… but thanks… I’ll grab mine a little later…” 

Tony turned to leave and then paused and turned back, "This morning, when I checked in on you, you were reading..."

Loki's jaw tensed. Tony continued, "What were you reading?"

Loki softly replied, "A Midgardian tale... the Bhagavad Gita..."

Tony nodded and turned to leave once more.  
  
Loki called out as he walked away, “Do try to behave while I’m away from you… you tend to make messes…” Loki smiled and stepped into the bathroom, out of sight of Tony.  
  
“Me!? Me!? You’re the trickster here not—…” Tony words stopped mid-way as Loki’s other garments where cast out of the bathroom onto the floor by Tony’s shirt… leaving Tony to imagine the god… naked… warm… flirty… waiting… and-….

Nope! He needed to walk away and check on—… check on some things… anything…  
  
Tony walked away leaving the sentinels to monitor Loki’s-… ‘needs’… Tony needed a distraction. He needed a lot of those lately.  
  
Loki. Naked. Wet.  
  
No! No… distraction. But what?  
  
Tony walked down the hall, back towards the kitchen area.

"Hey! J ! Upload the book Bhagavad Gita to my personal tablet for later."

"Certainly sir."  
  
“Thanks Jarvis.”

"Of course sir, however, there is something I must inform you of."

“Whats up?”  
  
“Mr. Banner and Miss Romanoff have entered the tower.”  
  
…  
  
Fuck.  
  
That really wasn’t the distraction Tony was looking for.


	6. Naked

 

* * *

_“We are fashioned creatures, but half made up.”  
― Mary Shelley, _Frankenstein_ _

* * *

 

Tony and Pepper met face to face when they both scrambled to the elevator door.  
  
“Shhhit! Serisouly!?” Tony’s eyes were locked on Pepper’s.  
  
Pepper replied, “Okay okay… listen, we could most likely get this past Bruce but there is no way I’m going to even attempt to lie to Nat.” Pepper was cool and collected but Tony knew her too well, she was just as stressed about this little visit as he was.  
  
“Shit, okay. We just need to think for a minute.” Tony drew in a breath and placed a hand to his forehead.  
  
Pepper knew they didn’t have long, “Tony! The elevator is moving… we don’t have time. You need to—..” Tony cut her off when he barked an order to Jarvis.  
  
“Jarvis! Stop the elevator!”  
  
Bruce and Natasha stood side by side, both casually dressed, calm and relaxed, waiting for a visit with friends when their ride stopped abruptly. The elevator car rocking ever so slightly as it’s breaks where locked. Bruce tapped a finger to a screen in the car bringing to life a blue light which answered, “Greetings.”  
  
“Uh- hey Jarvis… is everything okay?”  
  
“Sketchy…” Nat spoke under her breath, Bruce trying to pay it no attention.  
  
“Greetings Mr. Banner and Miss Romanoff. How may I be of assistance?” Jarvis’ voice sounded through the speakers in the small compartment.  
  
“Yeah! Uh-heeey! We aren’t moving? Is something wrong?” Bruce asked, his nerves starting to show, something that typically wasn’t a healthy option for him.  
  
Natasha took a step backward and began examining the ceiling of the elevator car as Bruce waited patiently.  
  
“Yes sir. You are indeed correct. The elevator car has stopped.”  
  
…  
  
“Um, yes…. can weee— keep going? … is everything okay?”  
  
…  
  
Tony and Pepper were scrambling for answers and arguing like an old married couple. They were far more like siblings in the new evolution of their working relationship and very little tended to get done when you pinned two stubborn people together.  
  
“Oh my god this is ridiculous! They are going to know there is something wrong!” Pepper began to pace.  
  
“Look! Just Uh… keep them busy! I need to go get Loki and um—…” Tony was rushing to figure out a way to give him a little more time.  
  
“And do what!? Hide him under your bed?”  
  
Tony paused and actually considered it. Pepper slapped his arm for it and yelled. “Dammit go grab him and Rhodey and I will think of something… I don’t like lying to them Tony.”  
  
Tony paused and sighed, “I don’t either but—… I know Bruce would understand its just—… I think Nat is more on Caps team when it comes to stuff like this… I don’t know… I—…” Tony went on but was cut off…  
  
“Pardon me sir but Miss Romanoff is currently climbing the elevator shaft.”  
  
Of course she was.  
  
Tony looked to Pepper, sharing, not a look of oh-shit, but one that could better be described as thats-our-girl. Pepper then pointed down the hall, “You go! I’ll talk! Its what you pay me for! But you might wanna call Hill to come and help juuust a little!”  
  
Tony smiled and ran down the hall leaving Pepper to face the ginger-daredevil and her jolly-green-giant. Tony went racing down the hall and past the sentinels on duty. He burst into the bathroom. The room was filled with steam but he could still make out the tall slender figure behind the glass wall. Thank god for humidity and distorted glass, otherwise he would have been far too distracted to even get the warning out there. That is until—…  
  
“If you wanted to join me you should have taken my earlier offer.” Said from the other direction?  
  
Tony turned to see Loki standing behind him, dry with wet hair, wearing a pair of black Stark Industry work-out pants and nothing else, the blue mark upon his side still quite visible… but— ...what now!?  
  
Tony turned back to the figure in the shower and then back to the Loki behind him… two? …oooohhhh…. Decoy.  
  
Tony turned and addressed the Loki behind him, “Why are you using a decoy in one of my showers?” The decoy behind him then emerged from the shower. Tony turned at the movement and sound, the decoy then speaking, “To ensure my safety as I dressed. In case an enemy approached when I was vulnerable...”  
  
Tony heard every word the decoy said though wasn’t paying any attention to the decoy’s lips. His eyes wondered like hobbits all over middle earth; wondering from the plans of smooth light skin, all the way down to the dark tower itself, and he never even thought to hide it. His dark eyes distracted by the water droplets as they fell down along Loki's muscles and curves. Tony’s eyes shifted back and forth from one Loki to the other.  
   
…  
  
“Loki…”  
  
“Yes Stark?” Both replied with a grin.  
  
“Why are you still projecting a decoy?” Tony turned his full attention back to the Loki closest to him… the naked one… wet and oh so naked…  
  
Both Loki’s held their grin though the real one, the mostly dry one behind him, chuckled and softly said, “Because you keep looking.”  
  
Tony turned away from the eye candy and back to Loki… well… Loki number two… the less oh-my-god-please-let-me-be-your-human-towel one. The real Loki’s grin widened, the decoy moving closer to him, Tony’s jaw locking, his breathing becoming a bit deeper.  
  
...  
  
What was he doing a minute ago? …  
  
Oh shit!  
  
“Look! We really don’t have time for red-hot-america-summer right now!” Tony’s voice was obviously panicked which queued Loki to wave his hand, his decoy vanishing into a green light. A whimper escaped Tony when he turned to see his treat had been taken away. Tony turned back and waved a hand back behind him in the area the decoy was, “I mean we don’t have time right now but we should certainly re-approach this later!” Loki walked closer to him and cast the smile from his reaction away for a moment to address Tony’s distress.  
  
“Speak! What troubles you?”  
  
Tony quickly gave Loki the gist of their lovely little situation. Loki didn’t look overly pleased and for good reason. He wasn’t overly found of Bruce, mainly his other side. Tony was certain Loki didn’t want to become reacquainted with the floor of the tower in a manner only the Hulk could introduce. Loki hissed… and then hissed again… this time in pain. Loki immediately doubled over, grabbing at his side. Tony shaw flashes of green sparks under Loki’s skin, shimmer from place to place, no longer localized.  
  
Awesome.  
  
Perfect timing. Thanks universe.  
  
A radiated rage monster and his ex-assassign girlfriend were a few seconds from busting in to find Tony with a half naked sick alien criminal in one of this guest bedrooms… no big deal…  
  
Tony moved quickly to Loki’s aide but could do little with what time they had. Shit. He had to move him but where? Tony could hear voices coming their way. Fuck. He had to move him. Tony grabbed on to him and pulled him back into a large closet in the room, Loki still in obvious pain. Tony whispered, “Can you zap out of here quickly? Or are you out of juice?”  
  
Loki grimaced in pain and then growled. Tony took that as a no.  
  
“Oh, you get all animal when you are in pain… I like it.”  
  
Loki looked to him with murder in his eyes.  
  
“I less like it now.”  
  
“I will do what I can…” Loki muttered before pushing Tony away. The second Tony closed the closet door and turned and saw Natasha walk into the room. Obviously not amused.  
  
“Tony…”  
  
“Nat…”  
  
…  
  
“Whats going on?” Natasha bluntly spoke while folding her arms. Tony could still hear Bruce and Pepper talking out by the elevator, hearing Bruce muttering about the damage to the penthouse.  
  
Tony stood still and tried to appear casual, “Running some new protocols… didn’t pan out well… it happens.”  
  
Natasha raised an eyebrow. Tony felt scolded. Natasha looked to the closet door behind him and nodded towards it, “Whats in there?”  
  
“Skeletons…”  
  
Natasha didn’t look impressed and moved towards it. Tony didn’t even try to stop her. He knew right where his testicles where and wanted to keep it that way. Tony closed his eyes and grimaced when Nat opened the door… but it was empty. Thank god it was empty! Thank the alien magic gods- it. was. empty.  
  
Tony turned and looked to Natasha, his back now to the closet. “I guess I aired out all my skeletons.” Natasha smiled though he could tell she still wasn’t sold. Tony then caught the sight of a soft flash of green light from underneath the door of one of the other rooms down the hall. It was like a fucking Benny Hill skit playing hide-the-Loki. But who best to attempt to hide secrets from than a former spy… no problem…  
  
Tony needed to do some major damage control… again.  
  
Tony spent a good fifteen minutes attempting to cover his tracks… though, with little success. Eventually he knew he would need to let the Loki out of the bag.  
  
“Okay okay! Look… I uh-… I made a deal with someone… I’d help them if they helped me… some shenanigans were a-foot and um-… things got trashed, new things got traded… and uh—…”  
  
“Tony.” Bruce said quickly.  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Did you build another death-machine?” Bruce and Nat looked to him and waited, Pepper sighed. Tony scoffed and shook his head.  
  
“No! ...Well…. I kinda build those all the time but this time no Ultron mishaps!”  
  
“Mishaps?” Nat said in a delightfully judgmental manner, raising an eyebrow.  
  
“I do have the ability to learn from my mistakes you know…”  
  
Bruce, Natasha, Pepper, and Rhodey (who joined them after the closet dance) looked to Tony questionably.  
  
“Oh, shut up!” Tony remarked walking to the bar behind the kitchen, reaching for a glass.  
  
“Oh yes, because drinking will make things so much better.” Bruce’s sarcasm was really working hard today.  
  
“Look. I made a decision to help someone. I’m not going to tell you who… right now… Just know that I wouldn’t be doing anything like this unless I really believed it could help us… trust me.” Tony waited patiently for Bruce to reply, batting his big dark eyes at him in mock pleading.  
  
“I— I don’t know…” Bruce was uneasy about the entire thing. Tony had lost a great deal of trust after the Ultron fiasco. Before Bruce or Nat could reply further Jarvis sounded.  
  
“Sir. Your delivery has arrived.”  
  
Tony lifted his arms to the ceiling in mock celebration, jumped to move, but Pepper waved to him to sit back down as she moved to the elevator. Tony looked back to Natasha and Bruce.  
  
“Come on guys… just chill out for a bit, listen to our side of the deal, maybe look over some specs, and pig out on Thai with me… I bought a shit load of food… come on… what do you say?”  
  
“You’re on thin ice with me but I’ll trust you for now.” Bruce finally surrendered but then looked to Natasha.  
  
Natasha stared at Tony for a time before softly sighing and quickly yet intently replying, “For now… I’ll play along… but if anything starts to go south I’m putting in a call.”  
  
“Give me a heads up before you tattle okay?” Tony smiled and turned to Bruce. I really could use your help on a few specs but first I gotta check on something.  
  
“Whatever you are hiding in the back bedrooms?” Natasha interrupted with a smirk.  
  
“You’re so nosy… but you know that and some how make it adorable. I like that in a spy.” They both grinned. Tony and Natasha genuinely liked one another’s character but it was quite difficult to trust a spy, let-alone former assassin. Though Tony often pondered whether or not his past self earned an honorary title of mass-assassin for his role in arms and manufacturing… thoughts he clearly visited while intoxicated in depressive self-degradating states… also known as his third default setting.  
  
After a time of covering some more territory and making sure to grab some food for Loki he hurried down the hall to the room he saw the flash from Loki emanate. Tony went in quickly and closed and locked the door behind him… as if that would keep out Widow or Banner if he went green. Tony’s eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness of the room before seeing Loki’s outline on the bed. He moved to him quietly.  
  
“Hey… Lokes… are you still with us buddy?”  
  
Loki’s voice came back strained and dark. Clearly in some kind of distress. “Buddy—… why do humans use such deplorable titles?”  
  
Tony paused, not wanting to spook Loki. “Well, we’re wacky like that.” Tony moved a step closer. He could hear Loki’s breathing was heavy, it worried him.  
  
“Look. I have Romanoff and Banner down the hall and they are in a getting-into-my-business kinda space so—… we may need to think about getting you a little more mobile……... Loki?”  
  
Tony moved closer, his legs now touching along the side of the bed, his eyes trying to adjust. Just as he strained further several sparks of green energy illuminated parts of Loki’s torso and neck, igniting a moan of pain from him. Tony froze. His eyes had caught sight of Loki during the flashes of light. Needless-to-say it freaked him out. It was almost as if the dark blue skin had begun to spread, bleeding into the ivory expanse of his chest, leaving behind those same lines and patterns.  
  
“Loki… we’re going to need to start moving fast… I’ll need you back in the lab. Banner is here to help me with other aspects of sequencing and with the energy calibrations and—…. Loki?” Tony didn’t see any movement… Tony leaned in closer… nothing… Tony placed a hand on the bed to brace himself, raising a knee, and half way crawling onto the bed. “Lokes… hey… I kinda need you alive for this thing to work so I’d really appreciate it if you’d stop dying on me… too much paperwork…”  
  
Loki softly chuckled, “I am no longer certain I am dying… though my body is certainly at war with itself.”  
  
“Wow… talk about Trickster God… you’re even playing tricks on yourself.” Tony turned and move to now sit on the bed at Loki’s side.  
  
“I am no god Stark… as I am no Aesir… “ Tony could hear what sounded to be surrender mixed with exhaustion in Loki’s voice. He must have had an interesting time in this room before Tony came in from settling down the locals. Tony knew Loki admitting to his godless state was actually quite big for the guy. And even at times something Tony had to remind himself regarding that smug asshole who typically looked back at him in the mirror. Tony also knew Aesir was Thor’s species… putting two and two together Tony began to see the full picture once again laid out before him.  
  
Loki wasn’t Aesir… he was something else entirely, Jotun. And while Tony read of them being frost giants, monsters, he knew Loki to look very little monster like and quite the opposite of an ice creature… more along the lines of the complete opposite from cold… but rather quite hot…….. mmmm…. hot wet naked decoy…  
  
Oh my god! …He was such a dog and he knew it. Dammit he needed to concentrate.  
  
Tony cleared his throat and re-focused on the seriousness of the moment. “So… to recap— are we thinking that the Jotun side of you has been triggered in some way and fighting the Aesir... all fueled by the tesseract and causing a fireworks performance as it transitions you back to your—.. umm… natural species? …or a far more magical version of what I just said?”  
  
Loki sadly chuckled and moved to sit up slightly, propping himself up on one elbow, looking to Tony. “Yes… something far more magical than that though—… I shall take your explanation for now.”  Loki went on to speak further but then stopped as he saw Tony’s eyes wondering over his face. Loki paused.  
  
…  
  
“Has my visage change?” Loki’s voice was soft and Tony could tell he was trying his best to not freak out, but Tony could tell he was worried.  
  
Tony and Loki remained quiet and gentle in their speech and mannerisms. Movements and words soft… slow…  
  
Tony shook his head, “No… really not— fully… I can see some changes in your skin… you’re getting darker— blue… I can see the—…. the lines… what are they?”  
  
Loki blinked a few times and looked at him in an odd way. To Tony it was though he had marveled him in some way, as though his curiosity had been sparked. Loki replied slowly, “I do not know much of the Jotun… only the nightmares fed to me as a child… only what scattered tales I have read… I have stayed clear of this subject...”  
  
“You?! Avoiding? Get out!” Tony smiled, Loki did as well…  
  
Somehow this moment had become intimate between them. Perhaps it was their setting? A bedroom, dark, upon the bed… but Tony didn’t think that was it. Perhaps it was the rush of knowing the goodie-two-shoes-parade could crash their little party at any time? …No, that wasn’t it. Was it how close they were to one another on the bed? Their hushed if not whispered tones? Perhaps all of it melted into what was happening between them now? But you add the cherry on top and it painted the answer all-to-well… vulnerability… Loki was far more naked in this moment than he was not long ago.  They both knew it and for some reason Tony wasn’t using it against him, he wasn’t pushing, or assuming authority. He was in this with him.  
  
Loki continued and Tony listened quietly, mother of god Tony Stark was being quiet… something was certainly shifting, “I know there are different breeds, genders, a rich history of faiths, magics… they are known for being a warrior race…” Loki looked down at the lines upon his torso, his eyes scanning them forming on his forearms. “I know each breed has different patterning… what they mean to them I am—… uncertain… What they mean to me? …nothing.”  
  
Tony’s head tilted at that… it caught him as funny or odd… “I use to think gaining my father’s affections meant little to me… it wasn’t until after I discovered I had it all along that I realized it was one of the things that drove me to hate myself and strive to always do better, work harder, drown away in the work… I’m still proving myself… damned if I know why now… all Hallmark stuff. Man-tears, blah blah.”  
  
Loki watched Tony’s eyes as he spoke.  
  
“You know why… you know why you slave and build your magics around you… it is no longer to make your father proud, to prove yourself to him… you now strive to prove yourself to yourself… merchant of death….”  
  
Tony held back a shutter but fidgeted. That was unexpected and felt cruel in some way. Loki sensed that though Tony didn’t think he meant to strike, but to undress. “It pains you to hear that title?”  
  
Tony looked to the curtains covering the large window at the side of the bed, his jaw tightened, and he nodded. Loki replied, “Then you know the pain I swallow every time I hear my name uttered.”  
  
Tony looked back to Loki, his brow lowered, seemingly more than curious of Loki’s reply… seemingly upset by it. Loki continued…  
  
“We so often live and breathe a life that was never ours… blinded by what is presented to us… never seeing whats beneath it all.” Loki’s eyes dropped back down to his hand, watching the dull dark blue creep along him, transforming, changing, shifting… Loki looked back to Tony.  
  
“You and I were both royals once… princes of empires… sons of kings… creatures hidden behind masks and titles… spoiled and pampered… molded to believe the lie…”  
  
Tony spoke then, his tone remaining soft and quiet as Loki’s, “There is a story, an earth fairytale, of this man… a king if you will… who built a child… a doll… he carved it and made it his own… “ Loki listened quietly. His eyes watching Tony closely as he spoke.  
  
“This toy-maker, this king… brought this fake child to life and called it his son…” Loki continued to pay close attention to Tony, both men now seemingly bare with one another.  
  
“But this kid had one big flaw… A.) he wasn’t even real… but B.) the biggest issue was that every time he lied… every time he was deceptive… false… fake… his nose would grow. Every time.” Loki listened though scowled in faint judgement at the catch, remembering it was an earth story most likely kept him from interjecting.  
  
“It would get bigger and bigger causing all kinds of messes… the fucked up thing of it all would get worse and worse… until shit would go down…” Tony shifted a bit, Loki still watched him.  
  
“In the end this magical being brings him to life… makes him real.. living and breathing… this fake thing was now real… But what the hell is real for people like us? For broken little pieces of fake as shit toys? ………… I don’t know, I uh—… “ Tony sighed and brought a hand to his eyes, pressing against his eyelids. “I think this may be getting away from me but I just—… you and I have way too much shit in common… if I were in your shoes and you in mine… fuck… I don’t know… Look. I’m rambling at this point in time. I’ve never felt more lost in my life and part of me is terrified of that and another part of me is oddly okay with it… I don’t know what I need or what I should do most days… what will work or what is even fucking right or wrong… But I know those lines on your skin aren’t ‘nothing’ to you… I also know why you looked at me earlier so confused… You can’t imagine why I’m not freaked out by all this… by the way you look…”  
  
Loki’s expression changed slightly, seemingly more vulnerable than before. He took his time to answer him, “I was raised to look upon the Jotun as nightmares… monsters… soulless… and now I will see one within every mirror I cast my sight to… Whatever magics the All Father used to mask my true form is fading… the Jotun form taking over… an ugly thing awakening within me to take all that I have left…”  
  
Tony didn’t even realize he had moved a hand to Loki’s. Loki allowed the touch. Tony lifted Loki’s hand and smoothed his thumb over his now blue palm. Turning his hand over and gently touching the tips of his fingers along the small raised patterns forming along the back of Loki’s hand. Tony’s eyes watched his fingers move along Loki’s skin. Loki’s eyes watched Tony’s the entire time.  
  
“I learned the hard way that sometimes the shit we’re taught in life is right is sometimes wrong… and the stuff we’re taught is wrong—…” Tony locked eyes with Loki, “—is sometimes right.”  
  
…  
  
Shit.  
  
Tony found himself in a holding pattern. Holding Loki’s hand and holding the space and time between them waiting for himself or the other to make a move… to make a fucking move!?  
  
Yeah! They were flirty, but how did this soap opera go down? How could they both allow a moment like this to even happen? This was usually the part of the movie Tony skipped. Romance of any kind always ruined the story, made it more complex, too mushy, unnecessary… distracting away from all the action, all the distractions.  
  
Ooohh… but Loki could be such a wonderful distraction. Those beautiful features, those thin lips, that long expanse of bare skin… lean curves and lines…  
  
“Why did you really come here Lokes?”  
  
Tony’s words broke the chick flick moment of the hour and triggered Loki to tilt his head in questioning.  
  
“How could a man like you not know what was going on? All those centuries studying magic? And you couldn’t figure this out?”  
  
Loki didn’t smile or show anger… he seemed to be going blank again… void… perhaps simple sadness…  
  
“I—… I think I wanted you to kill me...”  
  
…  
  
What now?  
  
….  
  
Tony scowled down at Loki but not out of anger. His expression was seemingly one of hurt.  
  
“I lost so much… all I knew… my world… myself… and recently my— mother...… I was being hunted by Asgard and by Chitauri… by bounty hunters and the like… and perhaps even myself… With the changes I—… I am uncertain… I suppose I just wanted to be caught in some kind of crossfire… and then I saw you in line of danger and I—… I just reacted… I did not wish to see you injured…”  
  
Tony softly smiled, “Makes sense… I mean I am way too pretty to die.”  
  
Both men finally found some relief in a small moment of light laughter. Then Loki moved, now turning Tony’s hand over in his palm. Loki now running his long slender fingers delicately over Tony’s rough and weathered touch.  
  
“You—… you are far too annoying to see killed in such a manner…” Both men smiled, “And—… and it would do the verse a disservice to loose a unique creature like you… so bold and brash… “ Loki’s fingers continued to dance lightly along Tony’s calloused hand. “So skillful, a master of your sciences… willing to stand up against giants… even a false god.”  
  
Tony smiled and brought his other hand to Loki, his fingers and palm caressing his neck and jawline, Tony’s thumb softly smoothing over Loki’s cheek.  
  
“Do you wanna hear something thats pretty fucked up?”  
  
Loki chuckled and nodded. Tony continued, “I’ve been going back and forth beating myself up for no longer hating you. For actually liking you… thinking I like you way more than I should… That I should be freaking out on you and freaking out over why I am so comfortable around you… Thinking you’ve done something to me to make me compliant or you’re seducing me with magic or something… I don’t know crazy shit like that…”  
  
Loki smiled. Tony became lost in it for a moment.  
  
“It freaks me out how much I like talking with you… even arguing with you…” Both men laughed.  
  
“Hell… I even like it when you call me names and hiss at me… kinda diggin in, not gonna lie.”  
  
“You are a fool, that is certain.” Loki interjected with a smirk.  
  
“Fuck you too… but let me finish…” More laughter was shared.  
  
“I uh—… I don’t live life the way others do… I’m not a sheep in that way… not ‘normal’… that shit is too crazy… Instead, I usually just do what I want.”  
  
“Sounds familiar.” Loki said, nodding in jest.  
  
“The thing is… as usual, I’ve been fighting the wrong battle… Instead of fighting why I want to fuck you rather than kill you is beyond me… its bullshit.”  
  
Loki’s expression perked up at Tony’s lovely tact and then replied, “It is your subtlety that I admire, just as much as your humility…” Laugher again.  
  
“Whats funny is there is actually this earth game called fuck, marry, kill…”  
  
Loki raised an eyebrow, “Earth is a strange place.”  
  
“You’re the one that wanted to take it over!”  
  
Laughter…  
  
Loki replied, “Have you been paying any attention to what I have shared with you? I do not make sane choices.”  
  
“Have YOU met ME!? I’m right there with you! Now look! …There are three Avengers in this building besides me… and an irritable CEO… I also have some Thai food here that is getting cold and sad… And you also need to know that I am planning on kissing you… a lot… and probably pretty intensely… its going to rock your world.”  
  
Loki’s smile was precious as he listened to Tony ramble and jest…  
  
“But right now… we need to get you fed, sadly also fully clothed, back into the lab to figure out some energy stabilization, and all of that past some not-so-happy-campers… and then most likely, after all of that, we can look into you screaming my name into a pillow.”  
  
Tony smiled, his eyes shining with flirtatious energy and wit. Loki couldn’t help but express it right back to him.  
  
“Well my little human… I am not a man who is fond of waiting but I suppose I shall allow such things… for now…” Loki raised an eyebrow to go along with that gorgeous smile of his.  
  
Tony chuckled and tucked several long black strands of Loki’s hair behind his ear, “Good boy!”  
  
Tony turned and moved the food from the floor onto the bed and looked to Loki.  
  
“Hungry!?”  
  
Both men smiled.


	7. Energy

* * *

_“So much has been done... I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries...”_   
_― Mary Shelley,_ _Frankenstein_

* * *

  
Pepper and Bruce found time to themselves, leaving Natasha and Rhodey to discuss threat potential, which wasn’t overly easy since Rhodey was still staying true to his promise to keep a lid on Loki… as long as Loki kept his promise to not cause any further drama… which was an obvious tall order, for both Loki and Tony.  
  
Once Pepper and Bruce were alone in one of the smaller lounge spaces in the penthouse they embraced one another, their friendship aiding them to feel a little more relaxed. “Pepper, what is going on?” Bruce seemed tired and emotionally exhausted from further distress.  
  
Pepper sighed and touched his arm comfortingly, “Bruce, I—… I don’t know what to say really. Rhodey and I are just as concerned but somehow Tony makes this seem—… okay.. I-…” She sighed, searching for her words. Bruce watched her closely, concern written upon him. “I— have known him for a long time, as has Rhodey, and we are trusting of him in whats going on... its just—… “   
  
Bruce interjected softly, finishing Pepper’s thoughts, “Juuust— not the other guy? …or gal… or whoever…?”  
  
Pepper drew in a deep breath and nodded slowly. Bruce sighed and shook his head. Slowly moving about the room, pacing with his thoughts. “I’ve been worried about him ever since New York… he uh— hasn’t been the same.”   
  
A sadness fell upon Pepper, “No one is the same… so many things have changed in the past few years I just stop sometimes and step back and I—….” She lost her words, and once again Bruce found them for her.  
  
“And you just find yourself lost at times?”   
  
Bruce and Pepper shared a moment of silence looking at one another. Bruce has spent a great deal of time in Tony’s labs in last year, ever since meeting before the New York invasion. Both bonded over their fondness of Tony, as well as their seemingly constant job of reining him in. He was their hazardous toddler they loved dearly and also at times simply wanted to send off to boarding school.   
  
“I don’t know what to do with him anymore… I don’t even know what to do about myself. I’m surrounded by monsters, aliens, gods, machines, spies, secret agents…” Pepper trailed off and then laughed, “Its all like some drugged up dream.”   
  
Bruce shared her laugh, though neither of them found any humor in it all. Bruce spoke quietly, “After Ultron I just—…I know him. I know what he wants and what he thinks is best and I do share in most of it but he takes these leaps and bounds that I just can’t… I can’t follow him… not always.”  
  
Pepper paused, thinking carefully of what to say, “There is a player involved that——…… that can not be trusted but— Tony is trusting him.”  
  
Bruce remained quiet, listening intently. Pepper continued with caution, “Tony is working with someone very—…. dangerous.”  
  
Bruce drew in a deep breath, crossing his arms, the concern upon him deepening.    
  
Pepper continued, “I made him a promise. I intend to keep it. Until… until I don’t think he can keep his.”  
  
Bruce tilted his head in curiosity, “And— what did he promise?”  
  
Pepper looked to him with what could easily be read as grief, “He promised me he would do what he could, during this mess, to not loose what was left… to do everything he could…"  
  
Bruce’s brow dropped, a hesitation within him as he asked the only thing he could in that moment, “Tooo— not loose what?”  
  
Pepper seemed stone cold in an instant, a sense as though she had gone too far in what she had shared.  
  
…  
  
“To not lose what was left of him…”  
  
Bruce knew it’s meaning. He knew they had all been through so much in a such a short amount of time. So many things lost… comrades, dreams, securities, and even for some a sense of humanity. Tony always played things off but Bruce read people quite well, as did Natasha. Both had spent time processing through Tony’s obvious distressing decisions and distancing. They had all been through trauma. But people of power hold far too many keys to far too many kingdoms to leave demons out and about so half-hazardly.   
  
Pepper’s tone matched Bruce’s, “I once trusted Tony with my life, I think I still do… but-… I’m not sure I know who that is anymore… I don’t think he does either. I’m not sure I know the man anymore.”  
  
Bruce sighed and smiled, “You know… not long ago I was just a nerd in a lab, a blip-on-the-radar… Nat was a hollow killer in the running around in the dark… we’ve all changed Pepper… Some for the good… some—… some of us have changed for the good, others just a little more worn and battered.”  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Tony and Loki ate their takeout feast in anything but silence. They chattered on, joking with each other, arguing and sharing in laughter. Not a piece of work was discussed between them during this time, which was a true blessing. They had already burned through so many hours in the lab that a break was well needed. Things remained light, casual, and quite pleasant. Shit, in-fact Tony couldn’t remember the last time he enjoyed another’s presence in such a way. He always loved playing around with Bruce, teasing Pepper’s patience, or casually playing games with his fellow Avengers. But this seemed different.    
  
Loki was either a rare breed of chameleon, able to mold to the needs of the foe he was utilizing for his benefit when he saw fit… or Tony was seeing a genuine side of the trickster most likely rarely ever seen. Tony favored the later. The two had gotten way to real for either of their comfort zones and the two had somehow relaxed into the out and open fact of liking one another. So, fuck it. Lets just take things at face value and carry on.   
  
Tony enjoyed listening to Loki talk, thinking his voice was pure silk… well, in truth, he enjoyed listening to Loki’s laugh and his bitter tones as well, so maybe his view was bias. Loki spoke of cousine from other realms, towers stretching through clouds, and machines of great power. Tony ate it up as if he was listening to a science fiction audiobook highlighting future vacation destinations.   
  
Tony shared ridiculous stories of shenanigans, entertaining experiments gone awry, and tales from earth films… Loki had already found himself sworn to participate in the watching of ’Star Wars’, ‘Lord of the Rings’, and various other titles he was bombarded with.   
  
The two men had remained seated close to one another throughout their meal and chatter, hands wondering from time to time upon knees and forearms, nonverbally empathizing interest in what the other had shared. Both men finding their eye contact lingering from time to time. Smiles, now and then, shifting from reactions of humor to a sense of knowing the other’s eyes were upon them.   
  
Once their meal had ended Tony and Loki still sat close, their conversations continued, that is until a shot of pain leaped through Loki, almost doubling him over. Tony threw the empty takeout containers to the floor in one quick sweep, moving to Loki quickly. Bracing Loki’s shoulders with his hands, trying to lock eyes with him, trying to see if he was alright.   
  
“Loki! …Hey hey hey! Lokes are you doing alright!?” Tony was more than concerned. He was scared. He knew he had to start moving things along. They had lingered for too long. Both needed to be back in the lab and getting things rolling. Tony stood up and tried to bring Loki with him. It wasn’t successful. Loki fell back along the bed, more sparks of light and energy dancing beneath his skin. Loki growled in pain, writhing with his hands to his stomach and chest.  
  
“Hey hey! We need to get you moving alright! We may need to put you out until we can stabilize the energy… Loki? Loki!”  
  
Fuck!  
  
Loki was writhing in pain and getting louder. He wasn’t responding to Tony and he needed to get him moving. There was no way he could get him back into the lab without taking him past Nat and Bruce. But that oddly enough wasn’t the biggest issue. If he didn’t get Loki moving who knew what else could go wrong. And! Because there was always a fucking ‘and’ to add to the mix… Loki’s cries of pain were getting louder and he knew it wouldn’t take long before Nat or Bruce came crashing in. It was a damn miracle they didn’t already attempt a visit down the hall. Curiosity and the killing of cats, you know…  
  
Tony laid a hand to Loki’s chest, trying to steady him as he brought his face to his ear, “Loki! I need to move you but I either need you to quiet down or find a way to zap yourself back to the lab…. Loki! Hey, can you hear me?”  
  
The sparks fired once more and a rush of dark blue crept along Loki’s skin, now devouring any fair space left. It flooded over his beautiful features, leaving the raised ridges as it moved. Tony drew back a few inches watching the transformation take place.   
  
A frantic knock came from the door, “Tony! Are you okay!?” Bruce’s voice rang from the other side of the door.  
  
Well today just went from awesome to suck…  
  
Tony needed to think fast. And fast was his area. Tony stood and forcefully reached his arm outward and then shafted his motion towards Loki. Within a moment pieces of metal came flying through the room, latching themselves onto Loki’s form, covering him piece by piece in armor. Tony had called one of his newer suits, which mimicked his Mark 42, but with less kinks. Loki barely seemed to notice the exoskeleton armor latching around him as it was evident he was far more distracted by the massive amount of pain he seemed to be in. Once the helmet locked down Tony called another model. It flew through the already broken window in the room the first suit had made as it pieces flew through it to latch over Lok’s blue form, glass flying throughout the room… seriously… why did he even bother to fix things? Once the other suit arrived to stood and opened its self up to Tony, seemingly peeling itself apart to cocoon around him.    
  
By the time Natasha heard the glass break from the other side of the penthouse she went running own the hall and pulled Bruce away. Giving herself room to kick open the door. By the time her heroic gesture made it’s debut Tony was stepping into his suit. Natasha, Bruce, and Rhodey were are the door.   
  
“What the hell Stark!?” Natasha barked at him. Bruce moved a hand to her shoulder, seemingly to que her to take a second to pause.   
  
Rhodey joined in the fun, “You need me!?”  
  
Tony moved to the bed and lifted the other armor clad individual up. Tony’s voice sounded through his com in the suit, the illuminated eyes of his helmet shinning towards the three in the doorway, “I always need you buddy! But right now I need Bruce to meet me in the lab.” With that he ignited the jet thrusters in his feet and flight stabilizers in his armor’s gauntlets and lifted from the floor, the flames burning the carpet beneath him… again… owning things is silly… Tony pulled Loki up and over his shoulder in a fire fighter carry position, braced him with one hand, and flew out the window.   
  
The three in the door way moved quickly to meet the two suits in the larger lab. When they arrived Tony was entering from the launchpad on the side of the tower. Tony quickly moved Loki onto one of the large slab work tables, being gentle as he moved. One Iron Man suit tending to another. Bruce rushed to a computer and sparked it to life; various holographic screens of data pouring over the the consoles throughout the lab. Natasha and Rhodey stood a few feet back allowing the scientists to do their work. Natasha had a sidearm drawn, Rhodey apparently putting himself back in the War Machine suit after relaxing out of it when he ate. Pepper stayed back, only moving her worried gaze away from the working chaos to acknowledge and greet Hill as she arrived from the hall adjacent to the lab.   
  
Awesome… more babysitters…  
  
Tony exited the suit quickly, placing it on sentry mode. He acted as though it was for Loki though in all honest it was for his friends… as terrible as that may sound. He couldn’t have them metaling in this, not right now, probably never. As Tony scrambled around he riddled off information to Bruce over the specs before them. Trying to explain to him without giving too much away regarding their patient’s identity… that shit wasn’t easy. The day had gone from a relaxed day of sharing information and banter, stress of guests, stress of reading rainbow moments of sharing and caring, and now to being way too similar to what happened with Vision. Avengers running around, fighting with each other, getting testy, and butting in on other people’s business. Seriously it was quite the dysfunctional family.  
  
Bruce was staying up-to-speed for the most part. He was already shifting things around, making the data more clear. Damn. It was good to have Bruce at his side on this. Tony knew a lot… a. lot. But Bruce had a way of mastery when it came to genetics and radiation. Adding Tony’s expertise of energy along with algorhytmes and diagnostic programming you had the cure to any alien magic disease… right?   
  
They had to… they had to.  
  
Tony didn’t even pretend to pay any attention to Natasha, Rhodey, Pepper, and Hill as they moved about the outskirts. Tony eventually brought in, one at a time, more and more Iron Legion units. The hint must have been received quite well as Pepper and Hill retreated to another part of the Penthouse, most likely to talk about the insane nature of this mess. Natasha and Rhodey remained but at a distance, watching and waiting for something to go wrong. The sentinels formed a ring around the lab, guard dogs… watching and waiting for something to go wrong… Hell… everyone was doing that… even Tony and Bruce.   
  
Minutes turned to hours. Loki was still moving within the suit for some time, the pain still pulling at him. Though, in the last hour he had not moved at all. Tony monitored the vitals inside the suit closely. Making sure Loki was still alive. After a time Bruce and Tony were able to calibrate several programs to purge the tesseract signature from their patient. The other signatures however were giving them both a hard time.   
  
Tony would pace from time to time and go to check on Loki every so often. Tony patched himself through to the suit and would type messages to be viewed and read by the suit’s internal helmet readings. Loki’s replies sometimes seemed disoriented and at times didn’t occur at all. Tony was beyond stressed. He wanted to kick everyone out and open up the suit, to run his fingers through Loki’s dark hair and make sure he was alright. But Tony knew he wasn’t. Tony also knew it would be nearly impossible to get everyone to walk away at this point. Tony did eventually send Pepper a message on her tablet begging her to get rid of Hill and Rhodey. Hill meant Fury… Fury meant Cap… Cap meant a world of scoldings and detention slips… not to mention the possible muddy mess of Thor finding out…   
  
Fuck.   
  
He really needed to get rid of Hill. She most likely had already contacted her master and commoner Fury… But Pep had a way of talking with people. Pep and Hill had bonded splendidly, as many of them had. If anyone could soothe and ship out Hill, it would be Pepper.   
  
Rhodey on the other hand would be a different story. Bruce and Tony were working quickly to get everything in working order before they tried purging old tess from Loki’s system. Rhodey looking on wasn’t helping. Tony loved his friend and wanted him there in the beginning. But things had changed… Loki was—… well… different. Which given his ‘colorful’ transformation was quite literal. Rhodey was a good friend, family even, but he was forever and always, just like Cap, a soldier. Pepper graciously agreed through tablet correspondence to influence Hill back out but sent him a lovely graphic of a middle finger as a reply to pulling Rhodey as well.   
  
Well… he may have had that coming.  
  
As Bruce and Tony hustled to get this where they needed it Bruce moved close to Tony and whispered, “You’ve certainly perked my interest in all this but Nat and I just came for a visit… and now I’m thrown into some experiment to save Loki’s life and I—…”  
  
Tony turned quickly and locked eyes on Bruce, surprise with a hint of oh-fuck! Tony’s freaked-out energy was difficult to keep at a whisper, “Wait! What? …you know?”  
  
Bruce smiled, “Well, honestly I didn’t until just now but I felt pretty confident with my guess. These readings are um… well… I mean-… come on.”  
  
Tony rolled his eyes and shook his head, drowning in his own well-don’t-you-feel-silly feelings. Tony smiled and looked to Bruce, “It was kinda silly to think I could keep it from you, my bad.”  
  
“You’re bad Tony? You’re bad? I don’t think you have any idea about how bad this is!”  
  
Tony sighed and waved a hand towards Bruce. “Look look! Believe me! I’ve been sitting with this for a long time and the pay-off is way worth any bullshit!”  
  
Bruce got closer to him, more intense in speaking, “Reward!? Tony… dammit Tony the last time we both saw this guy together he was trying to turn us all into war trophies… and know you—“ Bruce was cut off by-- a seemingly offended Tony??  
  
“Look! Its been done. I made a deal… I made a call. Thats what it always comes down to doesn’t it? One person to make a call to either save or kill hundreds? …thousands? More?”  
  
Bruce grew quiet, his jaw locked, his eyes seemingly searching for answers upon Tony’s features.   
  
Tony continued, “At one point the big guy was nothing but a demolition man, breaking down pieces of the world one temper tantrum at a time and now look at him…” Tony pointed to Bruce and waited.  
  
Bruce drew in a long breath, trying to stay on point with Tony, though clearly uncomfortable with Tony’s example, “He’s a god-damn legitimate hero… saving lives… helping to save the world on two counts now. If we had condemned him, you, we would never have had him on our side.” Tony paused waiting to see Bruce’s reaction. Tony added, “And me even! Mass weapons and all… I armed the world and now I do what I can to save it from itself and anything coming at us from outside…. Nat even! It wasn’t long ago that she was—..” Tony stopped once Bruce raised a hand, signaling Tony to cease.    
  
Bruce remained whispered though his eyes turned from Tony to the suit clad Loki laying upon the table on the lower level of the lab, “Okay… okay… but I don’t have to like it.. I don’t have to be nice to him… and Nat needs to know.”  
  
Tony’s eyes got big, “Nooo!!! No. She can’t. She’ll just call Barton to come over and attempt some spy revenge shit on him and-…” Tony’s voiced muttered nonsense about arrows flying everywhere...   
  
Bruce motioned for Tony to stop speaking again. Tony looked to their two baby sitters far off to the other side of the lab, high up on one of the metal walkways. Natasha and Rhodey seemed to be pretty interested in Tony and Bruce’s heated whisper-fest.  
  
Bruce spoke matter-of-factly, “Nat knows. Thats final. We don’t keep things from each other. That is how we work. If she asks, I’ll tell her… but I’ll help you… not for whatever redemption he may find but for you..."  
  
Tony looked to Loki and then back to Bruce, “Thanks.”  
  
Bruce’s body language softened and he shrugged, “You’re the asshole remember? I’m the nice guy.” Bruce smiled and Tony chuckled.  
  
“You better keep it that way… we have no time for green visitors. And uh-…really… thanks.”  
  
Bruce nodded but held a question within him. He could sense something from Tony. He seemed to be personally invested, not just invested in his typical over-powering way, mister I-get-what-I-want  and  give-me-all-the-big-shiny-toys… he seemed to be really invested.   
  
Tony and Bruce continued to move things around, setting up for the big purge. They moved quickly around Loki, placing sensors and machines all around him.  
  
Bruce was still going over things in his head. Trying to put together something that seemed to be missing. He didn’t have all the pieces until he saw Tony finally go to Loki. Tony leaned down, placing a hand on the forearm gauntlet of the suit surrounding Loki. He leaned in close, quite close, making sure his lips were near the built in microphone in the helmet, making sure Loki could hear him as he whispered.   
  
“Hey… Hey Lokes… we’re pretty sure we have things all set up now… we’re going to be attempting to eradiate the tesseract signature from the energy field your magic naturally produces… it uh—… it may not work but it uh-… Look Lokes, it most likely is going to be really—… painful. And I don’t know what I can do about that.”  
  
Bruce waited and watched the interaction between the two, not able to hear what was being exchanged. Seeing clearly now what he had picked up on moments before. Tony was certainly invested and not for selfish reasons. Bruce was picking up sentiment and possibly much more. The two spoke and interacted with one an other in a familiar way, in almost an affectionate way. Bruce didn’t say anything, didn’t even give it away in his mannerisms. Who was he to judge any form of sentiment between others? The rage monster and the ex-assassin? If he could forgive Natasha’s history, look past it, and look to who she was and could be then why the hell couldn’t he allow Tony the same opportunity when it came to Loki?  
  
After a moment Tony came back up to the upper platform of the lab, where projections of data and machines dominated the airspace. Tony got close to Bruce and whispered, “We’re going to need him out of the suit.” And looked to Natasha and Rhodey. Bruce followed Tony’s gaze and nodded. Bruce picked up his phone and called Nat’s.   
  
“Uh heeeeyyy… um… would you mind if you and Rhodey moved away from the lab while we run some tests? I—….” Natasha was cutting him off. Bruce nodding his head in agreement. “Yeah… yeeeaaahhhh… uh huh… well—… I wouldn’t go that far but—… uh huh…. uummmm… please?” Bruce’s voice went up an octave on that, working his cute puppy routine for his dark phoenix. After a time of Bruce listening to whatever Nat was feeding him in reply he smiled and replied, “Thanks sweetie."  
  
Tony grinned, all giddy and cute, looking to Bruce after he ended the call and asked, “…sweetie?” Bruce rolled his eyes with a smile. Tony continued to grin as they moved. He knew those two balanced each other out in an adorable new-love kinda way. Thinking of Natasha’a reaction to Bruce’s affections and pet-names also brought a smile to his face… He bet she hated them… and that made him smile even more.    
  
More on those cute details later… right now… the game was on and it was now or never.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The suit opened. One scientist teaching the other a new color, Jotun blue, and explained the real situation as best he could.  
  
Within ten minutes wires and sensors hooked to Loki, machines on and in place, programs on standby, and the mad-scientists behind it all? …Waiting… Bruce was looking to Tony, Tony was looking to Loki, and Loki seemed to be looking at no one as the guy appeared to be completely knocked out. Hours and hours worth of tests and calculations coming down to this moment. And it wasn’t as simple as uploading an alien computer into a system… it was purging an alien system from a living being who was already flooded with two other alien energy signatures…. fucking fabulous. No problem. Easy-Peasy.  
  
Tony closed his eyes and drew in a long breath. It was time.   
  
He looked to Bruce and nodded. Bruce turned to the screen in front of him and tapped various keys, sparking several programs and machines to life. Jarvis sounding over the lab, “Energy core fully charged."  
  
Bruce looked to Tony. Tony clenched his jaw, drew in a sharp breath, and sounded the commanded, “Do it.”  
  
A build up of energy sounded throughout the lab, loud booms and shock waves sounded through the space; sending flashes of light to strike and wash over Loki’s body, flooding his system.  
  
…  
  
Loki’s screams could be heard through every upper floor of the Tower.

 


	8. Their First

* * *

_“I am alone and miserable. Only someone as ugly as I am could love me.”_  
_― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein_

* * *

  
  
Flashes of sounds and movement cluttered Loki’s mind. He could make out various voices, sounding familiar to him. Faces and machines around him, moving about, whispering. His breathing was slow and deep, fully filling his chest, even and steady; the only lullaby lulling him in his deep sleep. He heard pieces of dialogue, segments of questions.  
  
His body was worm, comfortable, seemingly heavy feeling, as if the bedding surrounding him was holding him close. His body felt weak and weighted. It took him some time to wake. His eyes slowly blinking, allowing small amounts of light to flood his delicate vision. His head was aching, his muscles and joints screaming for him to stop moving, but his fears of helplessness triggered his survival instincts to ignite and spark some life back into him.  
  
Once Loki’s eyes adjusted he slowly scanned his surroundings. He was in a room… bedroom… Tony’s. He recognized it well enough from his previous night’s stay. But it was different. No sentinels, no Rhodey peaking in, and no debris and chaos. It was cleaned, lit only by a small lamp on the nightstand at the side of the bed; along with a glass of water, what appeared to be several small gadgets of some kind, as well as several files. It took a moment for Loki to identify the sound in the room, music. Some kind of Midguardian music was playing, soft, smooth, not Tony’s typical style. Not that drull he forced upon him in the lab.  
  
Loki continued to scan the room, now slowly looking to his other side. His eyes and body still displeased with the movement. And on the other side of the bed? A chair. Seated upon it? A sleeping Avenger… Tony Stark.  
  
Loki watched him for a time. He seemed to be quite out. His arms were folded, his head back against the back of the chair, his legs straight out and crossed at the ankles. The light from his arch reactor shinning through the thin fabric of his shirt. There was a tablet on the side of the bed, a document opened on it, text… Loki strained, to read it though his eyes denied him such privilege with a lovely dose of pain. Loki moaned softly, closed his eyes, and sighed. He drew in several deep breaths once more and opened his emerald eyes. As he did so, they were met with Tony’s soft smile, his dark eyes looking to him fondly. Tony leaned in towards the bed, resting his elbows and forearms against the bedding, gently resting his hands together mere inches from Loki where he laid. Tony's handsome features warmly lit by the lamp.  
  
Loki found himself glad to see him. No. Not glad. It was more than that. He was comforted… damn that gorgeous face for making him feel that way… pesky human.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Tony had fallen asleep hours ago. It was the first real deep sleep he had gotten in a long time, too long. He had remained at Loki’s side since the procedure to purge one of the incompatible energy signatures had last been performed. Bruce and Tony had to perform several sessions, neither of which were anywhere near pleasant to watch or perform. It did more than tear at him to see Loki in so much pain. But each procedure cleansed his readings more and more. In between each purge he would check on Loki. He wasn’t much of a chatter box in those moments, mainly just trying to catch his breath, and not pass out. Though pass out he certainly did, many times. Even after the last purge Loki couldn’t move let alone stay conscious for very long. It scared the shit out of Tony. He could care less at that point in time who knew what may or may not be going on. Cats were more than out of the bag, he was plastering it all over the tower. If anyone didn’t like it, they could try to do something about it. But Iron Man and the Iron Legion would certainly have something to say about it. Tony was done pretending, hiding, and playing games. He didn’t care if Fury was pissed or if Cap was going to break a hip. Fuck it! He always lived life in the way he saw fit and if someone wanted to come take away his new play thing then heaven help them.  
  
Bruce stayed around after it all, hovering, and checking in on their mutual patient. Over the course of several days Tony, Bruce, and Pepper found themselves defending Loki’s presence, putting out bureaucratic fires, and settling any temper tantrums that arose.  
Tony was never a politician, couldn’t stand them for a reason, too much ass kissing and apologizing. He was done with it. He made a call. People needed to get over it. And leave him the hell alone.  
  
Folks picked up fast that Tony was more than accepting of Loki but straight-up defensive of him. Any chatter in those days Loki was out regarding his arrest, death, and/or character were quickly shot down, at times literally.  
  
In between working with Bruce on checking up on Loki’s progress in healing Tony found himself watching Loki sleep, waiting for those rare moments Loki would wake and attempt disorienting and nonlinear conversations with him before he passed out again. At times they were adorable interactions, other times simply worrisome. The two had spent hours and hours together in the initial phase of their bargain, getting to learn and know of one another, opening up some mighty deep wells of lets-not-talk-about-that  and  childhood-trauma-drama. They had more than bonded, they had paired in some way. Tony couldn’t help but go back over their shared moments, the yelling, threatening, flirtations, and shared laughter. After all that had happened Tony found himself once again waiting for Loki to wake up… but instead, this time, he simply couldn’t wait to have him fully back… smiling… and most likely arguing him… but thats how they worked… they just—… did.  
  
Tony would sit in the dark room and play soft jazz, waiting for Loki to really wake up but stay up next time. When Tony did find cat naps here and there they would often be filled with nightmares or he would find himself starling awake. He was too worried Loki would stop breathing. Tony even set up Jarvis to alert him if Loki stopped breathing. Luckily, he had yet to sound that alarm.  
  
From time to time Natasha or Pepper would come to visit. Even Rhodey and Hill came in a few times to chat with Tony. It had taken some time to work through all that had happened with Natasha and Hill. Tony wasn’t overly pleased when he found out the rest of the team was being informed but once again Tony had already made things perfectly clear… you either get on board or fuck off.  
  
Natasha was oddly easier to comfort during all this than originally expected. Bruce certainly helped. Natasha even had an amazing talk with Tony about Loki; the power of redemption, change, and something about red ledgers… Tony even found himself asking her about her affections towards Bruce and their road-blocks in developing something that worked. Tony really blamed Loki for triggering him to open up and allow actual real conversations… that asshole… Life was so much simpler with shit closed off and ignored. Fake smiles and all that… Natasha and Tony seemed to get quite real in those days waiting for Loki to fully respond back to the world of non-comatose-people.  
  
In between keeping the peace, getting yelled at, yelling back, chatting with friends, and checking on Loki Tony would read in his trying-not-to-pass-out hours. When the data and specs from the information Loki had shared as part of his bargain grew too tedious during his need of rest Tony turned to his tablet and brought up the book he had Jarvis upload not long ago, the Bhagavad Gita… it was the tale of a prince from long ago… riding into battle, facing unbelievable odds, and crying out to the gods to be saved… It made Tony smile thinking of Loki reading it. It somehow made sense. Besides, it was damn pretty. An epic poem of right and wrong, choices and destiny, of monsters and gods.  
  
  
Tony didn’t realize his eyes closing. He certainly didn’t realize the much needed sleep taking him over. What he did realize, hours later, was a sound coming from the bed. When Tony opened his eyes he saw Loki moving slightly. Was he awake?  
  
When Loki turned his head and looked to Tony he couldn’t help but smile. It had been too long since those beautiful eyes looked at him. Tony leaned in and watched Loki for a moment. Trying to allow Loki a chance to fully wake, if he could. Once Loki blinked several times, allowing his sight to bring him back into the world of the living Tony softly said, “Welcome back sunshine.”  
  
Tony waited. Hoping that this time Loki would stay awake, that he would be his old self in some way, that he would be coherent.  
  
Loki closed his eyes for a time and then reopened them with a sigh, looking to Tony once more. Loki’s voice seemed exhausted though he could read his typical sass well enough, “Stark… if you call me sunshine again I’ll skin you.”  
  
Tony’s smile turned to a grin, evolving into a soft chuckle.  
  
“Good to see you too."  
  
Loki slowly smiled and kept his eyes on Tony. It was evident the poor thing was still weak and in need of further rest. But it seemed like this time Loki was really awake.  
  
Loki spoke again, “What happened?"  
  
Tony sighed and moved his hand to Loki’s face, once again moving several stray locks of Loki’s long dark hair from his cheek back away from his face. Tony’s words were still softly spoken though it was evident he was trying to sum things up and play them off as no big deal, “We cleaned you up… no more tesseract signature… it kinda drained you and burned you out but you seem perfectly fine to me… probably fakin it…” Tony and Loki both shared a small laugh. Tony continued, “The crew all knows but people aren’t stupid and their keeping their space… making sure of that… Bruce, Rhodey, and Nat are all freaking out over the intel and designs you brought on board, getting more on the band wagon… sitting here watching you go from blue to white, smerf to ghost… exhausting…”  
  
Tony caught sight of Loki glancing to his hands, ensuring they were back to their fair white, not blue, no lines.  
  
Tony smiled and continued, “ oh! And uh… I’ve kinda just been waiting to catch a few more precious loopy Loki convos until you woke up.” Tony grinned. Loki rolled his eyes and smiled.  
  
“I’m sure it has been quite entertaining for you.”  
  
Tony grinned, “Ooohhh yeah!”  
  
Loki sighed as he smiled, closing his eyes for a moment, pain and exhaustion still pulling at him.  
  
Tony continued, “You ranted on about transdimensional energy, galaxies beyond my 'small human mind’, and something about a city planet’s with singing lights--…. something… I couldn’t make out a lot.” Tony chuckled as he watched Loki’s face grimace at his accounts of incoherent Loki. “It was seriously cute."  
  
“Cute?” Loki asked.  
  
“Yeah. You know… it means something that is adorable or precious… cute!”  
  
Loki mocked a growl and closed his eyes again, seemingly in mock shame. Tony chuckled and Loki replied, “You do mean to say I strike fear into your heart and demand you crawl beneath me with my mere presence?” Loki jested but Tony took the opportunity and replied…  
  
“Crawl beneath you? No… though I wouldn’t mind you beneath me.” Tony grinned and waited.  
  
Loki’s expression of are-you-fucking-serious was hilarious to him. Loki responded, “That was quite the desperate path.”  
  
Tony smiled and shook his head, “Yeah, that was a bit of a stretch but I went for it… gotta remind you of my advances and all.” Tony grinned, as did Loki.  
  
“Oh yes, because I surely would have forgotten your attempts of courting otherwise.” Loki raised an eyebrow and waited.  
  
Tony laughed, a blush hinting at his cheeks, “Well, I doubt that… I’m quite memorable.”  
  
Loki’s smile was one of amusement, “Ooohhh is that so?”  
  
“Oh yeah! I’m kinda a big deal… quite impressive… you’re welcome by the way.”  
  
Loki laughed, “Thank you.”  
  
Tony’s smile was of mock smugness and didn’t catch the sincerity at first, “Yes yes… I do what I can.”  
  
Loki repeated, “No Anthony, thank you.”  
  
Tony paused…  
  
Shit.  
  
They were back to being real again. That didn’t take long. And wait. What now? Did Loki not only actually say thank you but did he also just call him Anthony? Whhaaaaaaattt?  
  
Damn.  
  
Talk about a sobering moment……………. huh.  
  
It wasn’t until that thought that Tony had realized he hadn’t had anything to drink in days.  
  
…  
  
Tony’s voice was quiet, matching the gentle tones of the moment, “You’re welcome.”  
  
Both men gazed upon one another for a time, the soft music playing from a panel on the back wall, the soft glow of the room lighting them both, the stillness between them heavy and warm.  
  
The moment became shattered by the sound of Jarvis sounding over the com in the room.  
  
“Sir, Loki’s breathing has stopped.”  
  
What!?  
  
Oh yeah. Tony had set Jarvis to alert him if Loki’s stopped breathing, he had forgotten. But what now? He seemed perfectly fine…..  
  
Wait…  
  
Tony smiled while Loki looked confused.  
  
Damn. What a 'cute' moment. Loki must have been holding his breath as he looked to Tony sharing in their ‘hallmark moment’.  
  
Super ‘cute’. Though he’ll just have to tease him about that later. Right now. Tony couldn’t help himself. Right now? He had a mission.  
  
...  
  
“Call me Anthony again.”  
  
Loki looked to him but back to the ceiling, towards Jarvis’s microphone, “But, what was tha—?”  
  
Tony cut him off while waving  a hand for Loki to dismiss that for now, “N-no… Call me Anthony again.”  
  
Tony smiled and waited for Loki. Loki looked to him for a moment, seemingly questioning his purpose behind such a request. Loki’s questioning didn’t last for long. Soon his gaze softened and a smile returned to him.  
  
Loki quietly responded, “Anthony.”  
  
Tony’s smile grew, his dark eyes seemingly shinning. Tony moved slightly off the chair and closer against the bed, leaning in closer towards Loki.  
  
“Say it again.”  
  
Loki smiled, his voice growing smooth and soft, “Anthony…"  
  
Tony moved closer, filling what space was left between them, now out of the chair and leaning half way onto the bed. His face close to Loki’s. His eyes scanning his ivory skin, his sharp features, those bright green eyes, and those damn lips of his. Loki allowed him, not protesting a single second.  
  
Tony brought his lips towards Loki’s, hovering such a small distance away. Both men breathing in each other’s body heat, both mean feeling one another’s close presence, like the pull of magnets desperately moving towards one another, pulling and pulling.  
  
Tony paused for a time, allowing eyes to wonder and breath to deepen. Watching Loki’s eyes search his face, feeling his weathered fingers smooth over porcelain skin. Feeling his body ignite as Loki’s long fingers moved upward to glide along his jaw.  
  
…  
  
Tony whispers, “ ..again.”  
  
Loki drew in a breath and sighed a desperate reply of, “ … Anthony…”  
  
The sound of his name barely finished leaving Loki’s lips before Tony pressed his to Loki's, finally taking that long awaited kiss both had been waiting for.    
  
Their kiss held for some time, pure, and new. Their first…  
  
When Tony pulled away slightly to break it, to breath in the air his lungs so needed, Loki brought his lips quickly to Tony's, bringing their lips back to one another, as if one breath was far too long for them to be apart. One kiss followed another and then another. They were gentle with their contact, soft responses between each other, received and sent back. Loki was the first to invite Tony’s tongue into their touch; with a warm invitation from his own, gliding along Tony’s. The wet taste of one another now deepening to something grounding them further together in this touch, in this ‘first’. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooohhhh goodness... romance... I tried my best with it! Be kind internet ;-)


	9. No Big Deal

* * *

 “There is something at work in my soul, which I do not understand.”  
― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

* * *

 

Loki's slender fingers reached up and around to the back of Tony’s head, smoothing over his hair as his other hand continued to glide along Tony’s neck. Loki was still in pain but could not bear to break this embrace. Tony slowly moved himself even closer, softly pressing himself against Loki’s side, allowing part of his torso to lay upon Loki’s. Tony knew Loki wasn’t still out of the woods but damn… he couldn’t help himself either. Tony had wanted to feel Loki beneath him for far too long and now the moment was here. Finally, both men, were allowing themselves this moment. Both had prolonged reaching for one another, both had denied themselves this pleasure, both had been foolish enough to grant fear permission to keep them apart…  
  
Fuck that.  
  
This felt to good. This felt far to right.  
  
No. More than that.  
  
Loki felt perfect… and Tony had yet to even truly explore anything beyond the sweet beginnings of their first kiss. Loki’s long black hair woven between Tony’s fingers, Loki’s tongue inviting Tony further, deeper into this affection.  
  
Soon hands would wander to beckoning places. Soon bodies would begin to move and press. Soon voices would moan and cry out.  
  
Soon.  
  
But not right now.  
  
Right now Tony was more than okay being completely lost in kissing him; in feeling Loki kiss him back.  
  
Loki’s fingers traveled, smoothing along Tony’s collar, arms, and sides; exploring all that had gone seen in stollen glances and hidden looks but never touched, never felt. Heartbeats quickened, blood warmed… but they remained quiet, each motion slow and purposeful. The only sound heard was the soft jazz still soothing the room to a lullaby state, the sound of desperate breaths, and small movements along the sheets. There was a bursting energy within them both, held at bay by a shared need to sink into one another, to allow things to remain slow and meditative. A stollen moment of ease and gentle touch both men had thought long gone if not a myth romantics spread as fairytale. They were both allowing this after thirsting for it for so long, now drinking it in...  
  
Tony was once again the first to break away, though his lips didn’t travel far… They ghosted along Loki’s sharp jawline and kissed their way down along Loki’s neck. Leaving Loki’s freed lips to breathe out sighs. A soft moan finally sounded past those beautiful lips of his upon feeling Tony’s goatee grace along his skin. That small sound was all Tony’s body needed to ignite a fire in him, pulsing directly through him, and down into his hips where in one steady motion he rocked down along Loki’s body beneath him. This small movement caused a chain reaction influencing further delicious sounds from Loki.  
  
And delicious this was.  
       
Loki’s much needed touch moved down along Tony’s sides to his hips, seemingly doing what they could to ensure Tony’s hips were indeed centered over Loki’s. This of course didn’t make things easy since Loki was far too tall… yes that is it… he was far too tall and there was clearly no issue what-so-ever with Tony’s perfect height… Right.  
  
The pacing to their official full-on make out session was still preciously slow. Both men taking their sweet time enjoying one another. Though some pause was taken when Tony was unable to differentiate between a gasp of pleasure or pain from Loki. He paused and looked to him, his large dark eyes carrying concern, his rough fingers sweeping over Loki’s forehead and hair.  
  
“Shit. Are you alright Lokes? Tell me if I’m hurting you.”  
  
Loki looked up, narrowed his eyes, and then smiled. Tony remembered to store it in his memory banks as Loki’s playful-sexy-times-glare. In one large sweeping motion Loki flipped Tony around and laid him back against the bedding, Loki’s long arms and legs escaping the blankets upon him to move graceful and slow around Tony, a feline stalking prey. Tony of course whispered, ‘Oh shhhii—“ as he was tossed upon the bedding, before he chuckled to himself. His quiet laughter died away once his eyes began to watch Loki move over top of him.  
  
Who the hell makes straddling someone look elegant? …alien demigods apparently…  
  
The moment Loki’s legs wrapped around Tony’s hips, his hands took Tony’s wrists and pinned them to the bed above Tony's shoulders. Loki was sitting atop Tony, his torso leaning overtop the man beneath him, his long hair falling along his shoulders, reaching down to grace along Tony’s neck and face. Loki had a smile upon him, predatory, and wanting… But Tony lost sight of that after a time. His smile began to fade as he looked up at Loki, his eyes scanning Loki’s features, his eyes… he was fucking beautiful. His lips now red from Tony’s, his light skin now flushed, his hair tussled from Tony’s fingers running through it, his emerald eyes——…. they actually looked tired… damn… thats right… he still wasn’t a hundred percent.  
  
Loki spoke with mischief in his voice, “Come now Stark… Hurt me?” Loki scoffed, “I am no human.” The grin Loki gave Tony was somehow inviting and frighteningly challenging at the same time…. Tony fucking loved it.  
  
Tony replied, “Stark!? What happened to Anthony?” He grinned and waited for his ‘captor’ to answer.  
  
Loki hummed and smiled, “Hmmm…. now now… you shall need to earn that back.” Loki grinned and Tony watched as he saw Loki’s eyes scan him…  
  
Holy fuck. This was happening.  
  
…  
  
Or was it?  
  
Tony paused again when he thought he saw a glimmer of discomfort upon Loki. Tony knew Loki wanted this as much as he did but he wasn’t prepared to see Loki exhaust himself further…. though Tony was certain he would love every fucking minute of it.  
  
But damn. Nope.  
  
Tony smiled and nodded to Loki, “Come here….”  
  
Loki’s smile remained and he leaned down, teasing Tony at first before getting close enough for Tony’s lips to reach his. Tony certainly didn’t protest any further taste of Loki’s lips on his but he did eventually, against his hard-on’s selfish protests, pull away… resting his forehead to Loki’s, whispering, “Hey… I’m pretty sure you and I have a steady plan to at some point in time break a few bed frames but uh---…”  Before he could finish Loki pulled back, his soft hands releasing Tony’s wrists and moving to Tony’s chest as he sat up overtop Tony’s hips…. Loki. Overtop Tony’s hips….. Mother of god what was Tony doing!?  
  
Oh right right… being noble and chivalrous… being the good guy sometimes really sucked.  
  
Tony could tell before he even finished his thought that Loki looked hurt by what Tony was about to say.  
  
“Look… you just woke up not that long ago and I know you’re a big-bad-ass voodoo daddy but I really don’t want to see you strain yourself…” Tony immediately raised his hands in mock I-surrender. Seemingly waiting for Loki to attack, “I mean I won’t protest if that gets me tossed around on the bed again buuuttt…. ya know…” Tony smiled, Loki thankfully returned it.  
  
Loki sighed and ran his hands along Tony’s torso, for a moment getting lost in the feeling of the arch-reactor under Tony’s shirt. Tony smiled and waited for him to responded.  
  
Loki eventually sighed and looked to Tony… those damn eyes of his…  
  
Loki finally replied, his tone revealing obvious disappointment, “I--- understand your concern…” Loki slowly moved off of Tony, sinking to the bedding directly at his side. Tony’s body mourned the loss of Loki upon him. Tony finding himself trying not to pout at his own decision.  
  
Loki’s words continued as he settled in along Tony’s side, a hand still upon Tony’s chest, playing at the hard edge of the reactor, “This is the first time I believe I have ever been turned down.”  Loki looked to Tony with god-damn-puppy-eyes and oooohhhh were they convincing.  
  
Tony quickly interjected as he turned on his side, “Oh no no! Believe me, no!” He spoke, eyes wide, a finger raised in emphasis, “This!”  Tony pointed between them, “Oh this is happening! Oooohhhh yeah! This is happening!” Both men were allowing their bodies to settle after a decent amount of kindled sexual desire... the laughter aiding them in settling. “Oh this is a big rain check, IOU situation.”  
  
Loki chuckled along with Tony, “Is that so?”  
  
“Oh hell yeah.”  
  
“And do tell me where this confidence of yours derives from?As though I would chose to allow advances again?” Loki was baiting him and they both new it. This moment certainly wasn’t as sexy as their previous moment but the intimacy was still there, still present. They were still embracing, ever so close to one another, but being cute back and forth was just making the turn down, more of a pause, forgettable even. Making it easier for both of them… kings of avoidance remember?  
  
Tony smirked and raised an eyebrow, “Have you seen me!? I’m quite the catch!”  
  
Loki laughed, “Are you now?”  
  
“Totally hot! …big deal… quiet impressive.”  
  
Tony held character as Loki laughed again, bordering dangerously close to a manly giggle. But goodness-gracious neither would ever allow that!  
  
“Oh yes, I see… I shall keep this in mind, count this as a charity towards a creature like me then, yes?"  
  
Tony smiled down to Loki, fully taking in the specimen at his side, pressing against him. Tony’s character fell away and something real set in once again, his tone soft, “You’re something kinda beautiful.”  
  
Tony’s hand moved to smooth along Loki’s arm as he watched him close. Loki paused before showing a soft smile and replying, “You have said this to me before.”  
  
Tony chuckled, “Now I gotta be original every time I’m trying to be honest or cutesy with you!?"  
   
“……cutesy?”  
  
“Oh shut up!”  
  
Both men laughed. Loki reaching up to kiss Tony’s neck before resting his head against his shoulder, bringing a leg to wrap around Tony’s legs and hip.  
  
Tony chuckled after a moment, “I fucking love that we’re so close to spooning right now.”  
  
Loki sighed and replied without moving, “Spooning?”  
  
“Spooning with aliens…. we’ll try the probe later.”  
  
With that Loki raised his head with a questioning upon him. Tony laughed and shook his head, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll tell you later. “ He then deviously grinned, “More like show you later… but you know….”  
  
Loki simply sighed and ignored the idiot human at his side.  
  
His favorite human…  
  
Loki’s fingers still played at Tony’s reactor, his bright eyes illuminated by it’s soft glow; the light casting a soft blue upon his features. Tony smiled as he watched Loki trace his fingers along it’s edges.  
  
Loki parted his lips and went to speak, Tony answered him before he could even ask, “It protects my heart, keeps me going… You have your energy sources and I have mine.” Loki looked to Tony when he spoke and then back to the light. After a time moved his fingers away from the reactor and down to Tony’s waist, slipping his fingers up underneath Tony’s shirt, quickly bringing them up along his stomach to his chest… Loki rested his fingers to the bare reactor underneath; feeling the metal and warmth of it. Tony thought he was smiling during it, but he wasn’t. A look of mesmerization fell upon him. The feel of Loki’s fingers along his torso was enough to make him react in various ways but the purpose for which Loki did so brought Tony a moment of pause, yet again.  
  
Oh yeah. He liked the guy… Maybe really liked the guy… really really… but lets not go any further with that because then you’re getting into mushy territory neither of them wanted to be in. Chick flick crap. We’ll just chalk this up to foreplay and friendship and leave it at that.  
  
They both remained quiet and after a time Loki closed his eyes and shifted, getting more comfortable, welcoming sleep. They both knew he still needed it. Tony shifted as well not to far. Both men still clinging to one another… Loki’s fingers remaining upon the reactor, his head tucked under Tony’s chin, along his shoulder and collar. Tony’s arm was still smoothing along Loki’s for a time before finally resting overtop of Loki, wrapped around to his back, seemingly pulling him close.  
  
…  
  
Tony laid there waiting for the moment he would become uncomfortable, as always, and eventually sneak away cause… ptfff he was Tony Stark. It didn’t matter how hot the person was he had been playing around with, he wasn’t a cuddler. Period.  
  
Nope.  
  
Never gonna happen.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Four hours later Tony stirred to find himself not only sleeping along side Loki but also cuddling… spooning in fact… though… he had somehow found himself in the position of ‘little-spoon’.  
  
Oh hell no.  
  
Tony tried to shift and move to place him in ‘big-spoon-status’. But Loki wasn’t only stronger than Tony but he was also far more insistent. Tony only struggled for a moment before giving in and actually allowing himself to enjoy the embrace.  
  
  
Both men were warm and comfortable, their surroundings soft and quiet… perfect. Moments like this weren’t real… were they?  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Tony drifted off to sleep again, deep and sound, full on guppy mouthed and drool… that good kind of sleep you always pray for at the end of a long shitty week. He couldn’t remember his dreams when he awoke some time later. Their position hadn’t changed but something else had. It took Tony a moment to realize the arm wrapped around him was blue skinned.  
  
Tony drew in a deep breath and slowly turned in Loki’s embrace.  
  
And there it was.  
  
A Jotun laying next to him. Blue from head to toe. The lines and ridges of Jotun patterning adorning every visible expanse. Tony studied them, mapped them out in his mind. He always thought Loki was gorgeous. But Jotun Loki? He was beautiful but just in a different way… a new way… He could still see Loki beneath it all, but dark blue skin and patterns all over—… that was hard to miss.  
  
Tony hadn’t realized Loki had opened his eyes and began watching him as his eyes scanned Loki’s arms and hands. When their eyes did meet Tony smiled, Loki didn’t.  
  
“Am I such a curious thing? …another toy for you to study and pull apart?”  
  
Tony grimaced and then smiled again, “Well aren’t you mellow-dramatic in the morning?”  
  
A slight smile could have been read upon Loki’s face, Tony took it as a win and continued.  
  
“Toy? Yes. Thing? No… Don’t go all Frankenstein on me and storm off into the night… Things are just—…”  
  
Loki waited, eyebrow raised.  
  
“Just—… different now.”  
  
Tony glanced down towards his chest, Loki’s eyes followed to the arch-reactor and then back to Tony, “Shit changes sometimes… only makes you a freak-show or a monster if you allow it… So stop being temperamental and brooding over it.”  
  
Silence was held between them for a time until Loki slowly smiled, “You’re mastery of counsel is breathtaking. I am healed. Cured. Send for my leave I shall be well for the rest of my days!”  
  
Tony chuckled, “I like it when you’re sassy… bitch at me some more… I’m really diggin it right now.”  
  
Loki rolled his eyes and tossed a pillow in Tony’s face.  
  
Tony laughed as Loki smiled.  
  
“Well I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.”  
  
Loki looked down to his hands, examining his blue nature, “Not as well as I had hoped…”  
  
Tony paused and reached a hand to Loki’s, his fingers traced along blue skin. Tony replied, “I uh—… I can get used to blue…” Tony smiled and looked to Loki.  
  
Loki’s smile faded when he asked, “Even eyes of red?”  
  
Tony titled his head in questioning, not knowing what Loki was actually referring to, and asked, “Red eyes? They don’t look red at all… believe me I think you’ve gotten plenty of sleep at this point in the ga—…”  
  
Tony was cut off by an eagerly curious Loki, “Hold… hold…” raising his fingers to Tony’s lips as he hushed him, “My eyes are not red?”  
  
Tony took in a deep breath and slowly shook his head.  
  
“They are as they have been? No change?”  
  
Tony nodded. Loki paused, his gaze seemingly far away. Tony allowed Loki’s gears to turn before poking around.  
  
“Soo… you were expecting more changes other than the blue? Like what are we thinkin here? Wings? …Horns? …A tail? Ooo!” Tony excited himself at the thought of Loki having a tail. “Do ice aliens have tails?!”  
  
The look Tony gave Loki influenced him to not only chuckle but to also narrowed his perfectly emerald eyes and grab his previous weapon and mock smothered Tony with the pillow. Both men shared in a laugh before Loki’s lips found Tony’s, of course Tony didn’t mind one bit. Both men fell back into one another as though no time had gone by previously.  
  
This embrace, tragically, did not last long. A call sounded from the other side of the bedroom door.  
  
Natasha Romanoff’s voice rang clear as day, “Will you two take a damn breather and come out here so we can finally touch base on some of the new intel or am I going to need to play dirty?”  
  
Loki smirked and berried his face in the nook of Tony’s shoulder and neck. Tony laughed and yelled out, “Play dirty? Like you know any other way!?” Tony laughed and faintly heard Nat scoff in amusement.  
  
Natasha answered, “Dismount and come up for air, we need to get the two of you off the bench and back in on this.”  
  
Tony kissed Loki’s cheek inviting him to look at him, “Well it looks like the locals are getting feisty again. How about we grab a shower and go get you something to eat… and later on go over some lovely alien defense specs?”  
  
Tony grinned at Loki’s playful expression, “WE grab a shower?”  
  
Tony grinned, kissed Loki’s neck, and whispered along the smooth blue skin he found there, “Noticed that did you?”  
  
Loki laughed and brought Tony’s face before his, “I am not overly found of the idea of those companions of yours seeing me in such a state… in fact I am distressed by this state as well…”  
  
Tony’s brow lowered, moving his fingers to play at Loki’s hair he paused before speaking, “Well… we cleared out the tesseract signature but that left the other stuff still behind… whatever Mr-High-and-Mighty did to you all your life with whatever Asgardian voodoo he put on you and then theirs the uh—… “ Tony smoothed over some patterning along Loki’s forearm. “Then theres the natural state of things…”  
  
Loki looked emotionless for a time, not Tony’s favorite thing ever… He then softly sighed and looked to Tony, “What I need from here on may be beyond your abilities.”  
  
Tony feigned shock and hurt, “Uh… Ye of little faith!”  
  
Loki smiled and ran his slender fingers along the side of Tony’s goatee. Tony could see he was lost in thought and Tony couldn’t help but join him. Neither were sure how much time had past as their moment of gazes and gentle touch ran far longer than expected. But of course in a typical dude, no big deal, kinda way… right? …most people get lost in each other’s eyes after hours of cuddling… its a thing… nothing to worry about… don’t push it.  
  
This moment however became broken of course by the rantings of a mad Russian on the other side of the door, “You have one more invitation to comply before I play my card Tony! Now hurry up, get dressed, air out the damn sex smell, and get the hell out here and socialize before I put a bullet in you!”  
  
Both men laughed. Natasha was such a fragile gentle flower…  
  
Tony sat up and looked to the door and replied, “Calm down before you have a soviet meltdown!”  
  
Tony then looked down at Loki.  
  
Damn he was gorgeous. Blue or otherwise. And that little chestnut from Nat suggesting sexy-times sure wasn’t an unwarranted thought.  
  
“You know it really is a disservice to be allowing them to think of all kinds of terribly indecent things we could be doing in here together and to not actually be doing them…”  Tony playfully shook his head in mock judgement, “It really is something you and I are going to need to work on.”  
  
Loki laughed, “And you would have your way with me looking like this?”  
  
Tony playfully weighed his options, “I have my way with you, you have your way with me. Tomato Potato… whatever…”  
  
Both men smiled at one another flirtatiously. The chemistry between them was indeed ridiculous and Tony was more than looking forward to  finding out how many chapters of the alien version of the kamasutra they could get through.  
  
Loki sat up with him and ran his hand through his hair with a sigh, “ You begin to piece me back together only to plan to tear me apart again?”  
  
Tony laughed and kissed him, “ Aaaand you’re welcome!"    
  
Both men chuckled. A silence was shared with them again until this time being broken by a lovely what-the-fuck-did-you-just-say moment.  
  
“I will need to seek further aid with stabilization of my inherent Jotun energy, Jotun form… I will not find that here… on Midgard… I will need to venture off world………….… come with me...”  
  
…  
  
Tony’s eyes grew big. What the fuck did he just say? Go with him!? Into space!? To alien worlds, space ships, creatures, and epic space battles!? ……..  
  
Fuck yes!  
  
Tony’s answer came quickly in the form of Tony straddling Loki’s lap and planting a desperate dear-god-thank-you kiss on him before he even had a moment to laugh at Tony’s excitement.  
  
This lovely moment was also broken by the someone-needs-a-cookie former assassin who clearly needed to meditated upon her patience level, “That's it Tony! You’ve forced my hand!”  
  
Tony and Loki paused, waiting. So far nothing from the other side of the door… creepy… But what could she possibly—…?  
  
*beep beep*  
  
Tony’s cell lit up, a new text message…. sent to him and Barton… a photo attachment….  
  
*downloading*  
  
*image fully loaded*  
  
“ooohhh shhiiittt...”  
  
Loki took the device from Tony’s hand and looked at it.  
  
The image was of Tony being preciously little spooned by Loki, Tony all guppy mouthed and looking way to comfortable… clearly taken by a I’m-too-sneaky-to-be-trusted Russian who was apparently far to good at being a creeper at sneaking in to check up on people… also way to good at sneaking embarrassing pics to text to your asshole friend who will never let you live it down.  
  
Loki’s laughter was dark and heavy, prompting Tony’s turn to throw the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying more of that darn romance! Forgive me! Also, lets open a few more doors ;-)


End file.
